System for evaluation of response to broadcast transmissions

ABSTRACT

A system and method for evaluating responses to broadcast programs, such as television programs, includes an instructional signal modulated onto a voice signal transmitted concurrently with the television program, or time-multiplexed with a television. At each of a plurality of remote receiving stations, one or more members of a remote audience has the opportunity to respond to a situation presented in the television program by entering a response on a keyboard. The system includes, at each remote receiving station, a memory responsive to the instructional signal for storing desired responses, and a comparison circuit for comparing responses entered at the keyboard with those stored in the memory. Also provided is electronic circuitry for scoring the responses in accordance with commands from the instructional signal, and a recording device for providing a permanent record of the audience score at each of the remote receiving stations. Scoring is performed at differing levels of difficulty, set by a host or by a contestant, with credit being given also to the length of time required for response and the mode of response such as by use of a key word or phrase.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser.No. 837,827 filed Mar. 10, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,468.

This invention relates to transmission by broadcast media includingradio and television broadcasting programs to listeners and viewers ofthe programs and, more particularly, to the transmission of signalsdesignating questions or tasks, to response criteria for evaluatingresponses of the listeners and viewers of the broadcast programs, and tothe dispensing of awards to individual listeners and viewers havingprovided answers meeting the response criteria.

A common form of program transmitted by the broadcast media is the quizprogram. Typically, in such a program, a panel of people provide answersto questions arising from the subject matter of the quiz. Often, theanswers are indicated by use of a keyboard with electronic circuitry.The answers may be provided in response to questions which are askeddirectly, or in response to a situation or task presented by the programsuch as in the solving of a puzzle.

A characteristic of such quiz programs is the fact that the responses tothe questions are limited to participants in the studio audience. Themuch larger external audience, namely the listeners of radio and viewersof television, are generally excluded from participation except forthose few people who, on occasion, may have the opportunity to call in aresponse via telephone to a situation arising in the program. Letterwriting has also been employed as a means of response to questions andother matters raised by the program.

Thus, it is apparent that a problem exists: in that a large percentageof the external audience is essentially excluded from activeparticipation in the broadcast programs. In view of the fact that thestudio audiences can provide their responses electronically, it is clearthat personal involvement, such as conversation among participants, isnot necessarily required. It is, therefore, apparent that such programsshould be open to participation by the larger external audience inaddition to the studio audience; yet, no system providing for suchparticipation has been available.

It is noted that this problem is not limited to quiz programs only, butthat other forms of programs in the areas of education and researchmight also be conducted in a fashion allowing active publicparticipation if a suitable system were available to make such publicparticipation possible. A desirable feature of such a system would bethe capability for evaluating and recording the responses, a featurethat would be very useful in the case of educational programs becausesuch a feature would permit a teacher to grade examinations dispensed tostudents by the broadcast media. Such a system would also be useful incommercial ventures wherein a prize is to be given to a participantproviding an acceptable answer. In such a case, the participant wouldbring the recorded answer, which might be in the form of a coded creditcard, to a store or other establishment for receipt of the prize. Thiswould be a great convenience in the implementation of a sales andadvertising program. Responses by the listening or viewing audience canalso be used in conducting a survey of public opinion. However, in spiteof the advantages which would be provided by such a system, forincluding the listening and viewing audience, no such system has yetbeen available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The foregoing problem is overcome, and other advantages are provided bya system for the evaluation of response to broadcast programs which, inaccordance with the invention, provides for the transmission of signalsdesignating questions and response criteria along with transmission ofthe broadcast program. The invention includes both method and systemaspects which create added interest and excitement among viewers, andthus tend to increase watching of the television stations carryingprograms of the type to be described hereinafter.

In accordance with the theory of the invention, two groups of signalsare broadcast, wherein each of the two signal groups may be divided intwo portions designated as first and second signals. In the first signalgroup, the first of the two signals includes the program signal itselfwhich may be broadcast from a radio station or television station to thelistening or viewing audience. The second signal of the first group is asignal transmission setting forth a task, such as the answering of oneor more questions which may be viewed on a television screen and/orlistened to over radio or the audio portion of the televisiontransmission. For simplicity in describing the invention, an audienceviewing a televised program is presumed. It is understood that thedescription of the invention in terms of the viewing audience appliesalso to the listening audience of a radio broadcast.

The second of the two signal groups is in the nature of an instructionalsignal group identifying the questions to be answered, the amount oftime available for an answer, a mode of scoring the answers, and theproper content and form of an acceptable answer. In one embodiment ofthe invention, the first signal of the second signal group sets forththe desired answer or answers, and the second signal provides the modeof scoring responses, such as the parameters, formulas and othercriteria to be employed in the scoring of the answers. Therefore, inthis one embodiment of the invention, the two signal groups include atleast four sets of signals which are transmitted, each of which can bevaried independently of the other, and which may be transmittedconcurrently or at different times.

Included at the site of each viewer in the external or remote audienceis a television set, plus electronic response equipment having circuitryfor reception of the instructional signal group transmitted from acentral station, the response equipment also including a keyboard fordesignating answers or responses to the questions, a display for viewinganswers entered by the keyboard, timing circuitry, scoring circuitry,and a recording device for recording answers to the question. Therecording device includes preferably a dispenser for dispensing a recordsuch as a printout, a magnetizable card containing a person's responsesto the questions and/or a person's score in answering the questions.

A particular advantage of the invention is the capacity for interactionbetween a person conducting a broadcast program and the externalaudience. This may be illustrated by way of example wherein asportscaster is describing a sporting event such as a football game. Thequestions asked by the sportscaster may pertain to the winning team, toplays that have been accomplished, as well as to questions which may becalled in by telephone from the listening/viewing audience. During theprogram, commercials may be aired, and various products and/or servicesmay be described and offered to the viewing audience.

In the practice of the invention, it is noted that signals of theinstructional signal group, Group Two, may be transmitted before,concurrently, or subsequent to the transmission of the program signalsin accordance with the nature of the questions and responses required.For example, in the event that the program situation deals with acollege professor giving an examination, the correct or acceptableanswers to the various questions and the procedure for scoring answersto individual ones of the questions can be transmitted before thelecture in which the professor asks the questions. In the event that alimited period of time is available for response to each of thequestions, then, at least a portion of the instructional signals, GroupTwo, must be sent concurrently with the program data, this portion beinga timing signal which the professor would initiate when he asks thequestion. The timing signal would initiate operation of a timer in theelectronic equipment at each of the receiving stations which are tunedto the broadcast program, the timer then clocking a requisite amount oftime in accordance with an instructional signal which has beenpreviously transmitted or is concurrently transmitted with the programdata. In yet a further example, in the case of an interactive situationwherein the professor is responding to a comment made by a student inthe classroom or, possibly in response to a telephoned inquiry, theprofessor may then ask a question for which the instructional signaldesignating the nature of the response would be transmitted after thequestion has been asked.

At a receiving station the electronic equipment includes a keyboard bywhich a viewer of the broadcast program enters a response. The responseshould be a desirable or correct response, or at least an acceptableresponse in order to receive credit. The response is stored in a bufferstore for comparison with a correct or acceptable response which isstored in a data memory. The correct response is provided as a datainput to the data memory by the instructional signal group. Thecomparison is provided by comparison circuitry which outputs a signalvia timing circuitry to a score counter to provide a score at theconclusion of responses to a question. The timing circuit, under controlof a program memory, is activated upon request from the host of thetransmitted program. Instructional signals transmitted by the host aremodulated onto the audio portion of the transmitted signals and,subsequently at a receiving station, are demodulated and decoded toprovide the data signals for the data memory, synchronization signalsfor operation of the timing circuitry, and instructional signals foroperation of the program memory. Alternatively, the instructionalsignals may be transmitted at television frequencies by known methods,such as the use of vertical blanking intervals or other unused parts ofa television transmission. The resulting score from the score countermay be recorded in a readout device which, in a preferred embodiment ofthe invention, provides a printout or a card with an encrypted value ofthe score in a magnetic strip that is readily read by automatic cardreaders. According to one embodiment, a register may be included for thestorage of responses which are printed or typed out in the form of amessage. The message may be passed on to the readout device underinstruction of the program memory.

At each of the remote receiving stations, circuitry responsive to thethird signals is provided for implementing the response criteria. Inparticular, provisions are made to evaluate responses to the samequestion at different difficulty levels. For example, different amountsof credit can be given based on the speed at which a viewer responds tothe question.

Also answers showing a more detailed, accurate or comprehensiveunderstanding can be weighted to provide greater credit for respondingto the question. If desired, a set of response criteria may include onlyone difficulty level.

The readout or dispensing device provides a printout having at least twosets of information. The information may be provided on a tape or cardin printed lettering or in a bar code format to show the value of anyaward which might be given, and a verification of the fact that theaward has been made. The printout may also verify the identity of theperson answering the question. The verification may be provided eitherby a signal transmitted from a central station as part of theinstructional group of signals to be stored at the remote location or,alternatively, by use of a validation code taking the form ofalphanumeric data and/or other symbols, such as a machine readable code,which the dispenser is capable of printing. The value of the award isprinted preferably in alphanumeric form so as to be readilyunderstandable by the participant.

In the event that a two-way cable system is available, such system maybe used to advantage in the practice of the invention by providing fortransmission of the television program to a remote audience while alsoenabling members of the remote audience to communicate responses orother commentary back to the broadcasting station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The aforementioned aspects and other features of the invention aredescribed in the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified diagrammatic: view of a system incorporating theinvention and configured to show two embodiments of receiving stations,one receiving station employing simulcast radio and television signalsof a program produced in a studio, and the second receiving stationemploying a television receiver system modified to receive aninstructional signal from the studio;

FIG. 2 shows the audio spectrum and a portion thereof designated for aninstructional signal;

FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an electronic response unit in each remotereceiving station of FIGS. 1 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing details of a dispenser of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the invention, similar to that of FIG. 3,the system of FIG. 6 employing the transmission of two signal groupseach having plural sets of signals, wherein first and second signals ofthe first signal group are transmitted by video and audio portions of atelevision program, the first and the second signals presentingrespectively a studio scene and a task for respondents, and wherein twosets of signals of the second group, an instructional group, arecombined with an audio signal of the first group;

FIG. 7 is an alternative embodiment of the system of FIG. 6 wherein thesignals of the second group are interleaved with the video signal of thefirst group by use of the vertical retrace time slot of a televisiontransmission;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a response unit for use with either of thesystems of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a timing unit of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 shows the audio spectrum and a portion thereof designated forinstructional signal bands of the second signal group utilized,respectively, for answers and criteria for evaluating answers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, FIGS. 1-5 disclose embodiments of theinvention useful for programs to be conducted with participation fromremote audiences. In the disclosure of FIGS. 6-10, the system is adaptedfor a greater selection of and modification of, parameters in criteriafor evaluating answers to questions. The criteria are controllable froma central station. The embodiment of the system of FIGS. 1-5 isdescribed in terms of two signal groups, namely, a radio/televisionsignal group, Group One, and an instructional signal group, Group Two.The embodiment of the system of FIGS. 6-10 is described with referenceto at least four types of signals, namely, a television signalpresenting a studio scene (TV program), a television signal presenting atask such as a set of questions (task signal), a signal setting forthacceptable answers to questions (response criteria), and a signalsetting forth criteria to be employed in the evaluation of the answers(scoring mode). The system of FIGS. 1-5 will be described first, thisbeing followed by a description of the system of FIGS. 6-10.

FIG. 1 presents a simplified description of a system 10 wherein acentral station 12 includes a studio 14, such as a television studiowhich broadcasts programs to many external or remote receiving stations,two such receiving stations 16 and 18 being shown by way of example. Inaccordance with the invention, each of the receiving stations 16 and 18includes means for observing the broadcast program, such as a televisionscreen 20, and means by which persons in the external viewing audiencecan respond to situations presented in the studio, the response meansbeing a response unit 22 which evaluates and records responses enteredby persons in the viewing audience.

Two signals are broadcast by the central station 12 to each of thereceiving stations 16 and 18. One of these two signals is a programsignal for presenting on the television screen 20 a program generated inthe studio 14. The second of the two signals is an instructional orcommand signal for operation of the response unit 22, the instructionalsignal providing appropriate commands to the response unit 22 forevaluating, rejecting or accepting, and scoring audience responses toquestions raised in the televised program.

Two modes of transmission are provided for the two signals. In the caseof the receiving station 18, both of the signals are carried by a singletelevision channel carrier radiated from an antenna 24 of the centralstation 22, and received by an antenna 26 at the receiving station 18.The antenna 26 connects with a television system 28 which includes theforegoing television screen 20 and, furthermore, includes circuitry 30for the separation of the instructional signal from the program signal.The instructional signal is then applied via line 32 to the responseunit 22. In the case of the receiving station 16, the two signals areprocessed separately. The instructional signal is broadcast by a radiochannel employing a radio antenna 34 at the central station 12, andreceived by an antenna 36 at the receiving station 16. Thus, at thereceiving station 16, a standard television set 38 including the screen20 receives the televised program via antenna 26 and presents theprogram on the screen 20. A separate radio receiver 40 and demodulator42 are employed for receiving the instructional signal and for applyingthe instructional signal to the response unit 22.

In the practice of the invention, the instructional signal may betransmitted to a remote receiving station in any convenient manner suchas via a cable transmission or by a specially broadcast transmission(not shown) or by combining the instructional signal with the audiosignal in a radio broadcast or television broadcast. The combination ofthe instructional signal with the audio spectrum is demonstrated in thegraph of FIG. 2 which shows a typical relationship of amplitude versusfrequency in a transmitted audio spectrum. In that spectrum, arelatively narrow frequency band is set aside for transmission of theinstructional signal, the narrow frequency band being at the upperfrequency edge of the audio spectrum.

For example, the bandwidth of the instructional signal may beapproximately 1% of the audio bandwidth, this being sufficient to enablea relatively slow transmission of instructional data to the responseunits 22 in the respective receiving stations. By maintaining theamplitude of the instructional signal well below that of the audiosignal, the instructional signal does not introduce more than anegligible amount of interference with the audio signal. Also, it isnoted that the instructional signal is not continuously present but,rather, appears only for a momentary burst of time, typically less thana few seconds duration, when necessary to instruct each response unit22. In the case of the receiving station 16, a simulcast of radio andtelevision is employed while, in the case of the receiving station 18,only the television program is broadcast, as has been described above.However, in both cases, the audio spectrum is the same, and the mode ofcombining the instructional signal with the audio transmission is thesame. Typically, the system 10 would be implemented with only one of thetransmissions, either the television transmission with the instructionalsignal combined therewith, as demonstrated by the receiving station 18,or by the simulcast of both the television and the radio transmissionsas demonstrated by the receiving station 16. In the case of thesimulcast, the instructional signal need not be combined with thetelevision signal, the instructional signal appearing only in the radiobroadcast from the antenna 34 as described above.

The receiver 40 and the demodulator 42 operate in a manner similar tothat of the separation circuitry 30, and will be described in detailhereinafter, with reference to FIG. 3.

In both of the receiving stations 16 and 18, the response unit 22includes a keyboard 44 whereby a person in the remote viewing audienceenters a response. The response unit 22 includes a dispenser 46 whichdispenses a record of the score and/or responses in a permanentrecording medium such as a card 48 of plastic, or similar material, andincluding a well-known strip of magnetizable material (not shown) uponwhich the score and/or responses have been recorded. Alternatively, byway of example, the dispenser 46 may be constructed in a form (notshown) for outputting a tape which has been imprinted or punched withthe desired information. Easily recognizable indicia may also beimprinted on the tape or card.

The system described lends itself well to multi-part questions and/or tomultiple choice answers, for any of which special forms can be provided,to be filled in or otherwise marked. The response recording and/or dataentering means can have provisions for the insertion of special forms orblanks, which can be made available or mailed to participants. Forexample, a school may mail to students forms specially prepared for aparticular examination or assignment. The response unit 22 may thereforebe configured to hold a recording medium such as a paper blank to whichmarkings are applied. Alternatively, the medium, such as paper tape,discontinuous or continuous forms, may be inserted by the respondents.

Examination papers, whether taking the shape of forms to be filled in,or the result of a free hand composition or narrative, may also begraded by the comparator means, which is capable of identifying keyphrases and words that are expected to appear on the completedexamination paper. In similar fashion, comparator means to be describedhereinafter is designed so as to be able to recognize and accept any oneor more of a plurality of predetermined key words, symbols or phrases.

Dispenser 46 can be adapted to reward children who have provided answersmeeting the predetermined response criteria by dispensing gold stars orother tokens. In another embodiment, the dispenser combines the couponsissued to winners with advertising material or shopping hints.

The records created pursuant to the present invention may be used astokens, coupons, certificates and general proof of participation in thebroadcast transmission program. Coupons may be redeemed by mail or inretail establishments for cash, prizes or discounts.

The following terms are useful in describing the system of theinvention.

The term "task-setting" is intended to include the meaning ofinterrogative, opinion-eliciting and statement-eliciting, as well as thesoliciting of creative endeavors and all kinds of functions capable ofbeing performed by an entry in a data entering device.

The terms "evaluating" and "scoring" are intended to refer to andinclude the meanings of sorting, counting, screening, evaluating,analyzing and processing information, data and responses in accordancewith predetermined criteria, ranging from simple comparing tasks tocomputerized processing and analyses.

The term "interactive system" refers to a system for communicating froma sender to a respondent and having the capacity for allowing the senderto receive a communication, when desired, from the respondent whether bymanual or electronic means.

The term "response" is intended to include answers, elicited opinionsand statements, text and narrative provided by contestants, respondents,students and other participants in broadcasts calling for interaction,reaction and responses. The term "processed response" is intended torefer to and include the results produced by screening, sorting,scoring, evaluating, massaging, statistically analyzing, or otherwisemachine-processing responses, data and information provided byparticipants at the receiving stations. The term "hard copy" is intendedto refer to and include any kind of permanent record capable of beingvisually read, scanned or machine read. The term "simulcast" is intendedto refer to the simultaneous, but separate transmission from differentpropagating sources of the video and audio portions of a program.

In the context of formulating response criteria, the terms "formulate","generate", "format" and "reformat" are intended to refer to and includethe selection and determination of all factors affecting the evaluationand scoring of responses.

The term "keypad" is understood to include other forms of data entrydevices, the keyboard being presented by way of example.

The term "print-out" is intended to include printed, embossed, punched,stamped, and other types of hard copy, paper, cardboard and plastic inthe form of coupons, certificates, tokens, cards, forms and matrices.

The term "central" as used, for example, in "central location", isintended to refer to a broadcast station or network serving a country, atime zone or a region, and also is intended to include discrete localbroadcast stations operating independently and serving a town or othersmaller geographic area, always provided that such "central" stationserves a multiplicity of remote receiving stations. The terms "remote"or "external" as used for example in "external audience", are intendedto include all television viewers and radio listeners tuned into anelectronic transmission station, irrespective of the distance from suchcentral station; as such, a "remote" audience includes, for example,students or other respondents positioned in close proximity to thesource of a program, as in the case of a closed circuit transmission.

The term "interval" is intended to mean time interval or period of time.

The term "reward" is intended to include in its scope discounts, prizes,free merchandise, monetary awards and other rewards having monetary orsymbolic value.

The term "host" is intended to include an on-stage and an off-stageannouncer, master of ceremonies, program director, guest host andcelebrities, announcers of commercials and any other individualassociated with the program or appointed to carry out one or more of theactivities enumerated herein.

The term "difficulty level" is intended to include difficulty levels setby the host and inherent in the task or question, as reflected bypossible answers, as well as difficulty levels inherent in a response oranswer set by a respondent based on the speed, accuracy,comprehensiveness or responsiveness of the response and reflectingrespondent's confidence in his or her knowledge of the subject matter.

In the formulation of a response to a question by a member of theexternal television audience, in the ensuing description reference willbe made to a response in terms of recognition of key words as well asresponses which require several words as in a phrase, sentence, formulaand the like. It is to be understood that, in the generation of suchresponses, the term "word" includes also alphanumeric characters andother symbols such as pictorial representations which may be required asa proper response to a question.

With respect to various embodiments of the invention, the response unit22 may be configured to provide the foregoing functions of evaluatingand scoring, as well as the processed response.

In FIG. 3 the studio 14 is shown, by way of example, to include atelevision host 50, conducting a quiz program or game 52 in front of atelevision camera 54 which views both the game 52 and the host 50, and,also including when required, display means on stage (not shown) toprovide an image thereof, which image is televised or only visible tothe studio audience. Words spoken by the host 50, as well as othersounds in the studio 14, are converted by a microphone 56 to electricsignals. Also included within the studio 14 is a keyboard 58 by whichthe host 50 or another person, enters commands and instructions to becommunicated via the instructional signal. The central station 12further comprises an encoder 60 a modulator 62, an oscillator 64, abandpass filter 66, a summer 68, a combiner 70, a radio transmitter 72,a television transmitter 74, and a switch 76. The switch 76 connects aninput terminal of the combiner 70 to either an output terminal of thesummer 68 on line 78 or an output terminal of the microphone 56 on line80.

In operation, the pressing of keys on the keyboard 58 activates theencoder 60 to output digital signals representing the keys which havebeen pressed. The oscillator 64 outputs a carrier signal which ismodulated by the modulator 62 with the digital signals outputted by theencoder 60. The modulator 62 applies the modulated carrier signal to thefilter 66 which narrows the bandwidth of the modulated signal to equalthe instructional bandwidth shown in FIG. 2. The filtered signal iscoupled from the filter 66 to one input terminal of the summer 68, asecond input terminal of the summer 68 receiving the output electricalsignal from the microphone 56 via line 80. An output signal of thecamera 54 is connected to one input terminal of the combiner 70, asecond input terminal of the combiner 70 being connectable via theswitch 76 in line 78 to an output terminal of the summer 68. In thealternative position of the switch 76, the second input terminal of thecombiner 70 is connected via line 80 to receive the output electricsignal of the microphone 56 rather than the output signal of the summer68. An output terminal of the combiner 70 is connected to the televisiontransmitter 74. Signals outputted by the summer 68 are connected vialine 78 also to the radio transmitter 72.

The signal outputted by the bandpass filter 66 is the instructionalsignal which is to be transmitted via either the transmitter 72 or 74 toa remote receiving station. The signal outputted by the microphone 56 isthe audio signal component of the signals transmitted in the televisionchannel via the transmitter 74, and is also transmitted via the radiotransmitter 72 to the remote receiving stations when a radiotransmission of the audio portion of the activity in the studio 14 isdesired. The summer 68 performs the function of combining theinstructional signal with the audio signal whereby the instructionalsignal shares a small fraction of the audio spectrum as shown in FIG. 2.This is accomplished by adding the output signals of the microphone 56and the filter 66 to output the sum signal on line 78. The combiner 70functions, in a well-known fashion, to combine the video portion of thetelevision channel signal from the camera 54 with either the microphonesignal on line 80 or the composite signal of the summer 68 depending onthe position of the switch 76.

In the event that the simulcast of both the radio and the televisiontransmissions is to be provided by the transmitter 72 and 74, the switch76 connects the combiner 70 to line 80 in which case the televisionsignal transmitted by the transmitter 74 has the standard format ofvideo and audio portions without the instructional signal, the latterbeing transmitted via the radio transmitter 72. In the event that theswitch 76 is connected to line 78, then the television signaltransmitted by the transmitter 74 includes the instructional signalwithin the audio portion of the television signal.

The circuitry of FIG. 3 demonstrates two possible embodiments of theinvention wherein the receiving stations may have either of the twoforms shown for the remote receiving stations 16 and 18. If all of thereceiving stations have the form of the station 16, then the switch 76may be placed in the position for connection of the line 80 to thecombiner 70, in which case the transmitter 74 transmits a normaltelevision signal while the instructional signal is transmitted by thetransmitter 72. In the event that all of the receiving stations are inthe form of the station 18 then the switch 76 connects a line 78 to thecombiner 70 for providing a modified form of the transmitted televisionsignal wherein the instructional signal is included within thetelevision signal. In such case, the radio transmitter 72 is not used bythe invention, but may, nevertheless, transmit a radio program to remoteradios which do not form a part of the system of the invention.

The television system 28 comprises a receiver 82, a demodulator 84, anda speaker 86. The separation circuitry 30 comprises a narrow-band filter88 and a demodulator 90. The passband of the filter 88 is equal to thebandwidth of the instructional signal shown in FIG. 2.

In the operation of the receiving station 16, the receiver 40 functionsin the manner of a well-known radio receiver for receiving the radiotransmission incident upon the antenna 36. In addition, the receiver 40includes a narrow-band filter 92 having a passband equal to that of thefilter 88. Thereby, the filter 92 extracts from the audio spectrum theportion of the spectrum, shown in FIG. 2 designated for theinstructional signal. The signal outputted by the filter 92 isdemodulated by the demodulator 42 to recover the digitally formattedsignal produced by the encoder 60, which digitally formatted signal isapplied to the response unit 22 for providing instruction thereto. Thetelevision set 38 in the receiving station 16, as noted hereinabove,functions in accordance with the well-known form of television setoutputting both audio and video signals, the latter appearing on thescreen 20.

In the operation of the receiving station 18, the receiver 82 includes awell-known television tuner (not shown) and outputs the televisionsignal of the channel to which the receiver 82 is tuned. The televisionsignal outputted by the receiver 82 is demodulated in a well-knownfashion by the demodulator 84 to provide a video signal which ispresented on the television screen 20, and an audio signal which ispresented by the speaker 86.

In accordance with a feature of the invention the demodulator 84 alsoapplies an audio signal to the filter 88 of the separation circuitry 30.The filter 88 extracts the portion of the audio spectrum designated forthe instructional signal, as does the filter 92, and outputs theinstructional signal to the demodulator 90. The demodulator 90 operates,as does the demodulator 42 to recover the digitally formatted signalproduced by the encoder 60, which digitally formatted signal is appliedto the response unit 22 to provide instruction thereto. Thereby, theresponse units 22 of the receiving stations 16 and 18 are able tofunction concurrently with the presentation of the broadcast televisionprogram upon the television screens 20. As indicated in the drawing forthe receiving station 18, a member of the normally remote audience 94operates the keyboard 44 of the response unit 22 while listening to thespeaker 86 and watching the television screen 20.

With reference to FIG. 4, there is shown one embodiment of the responseunit 22. The circuitry shown therein accomplishes the major functions ofthe response unit 22, namely, providing a member of the audience 94 witha means for entering a response to a situation viewed on the televisionscreen 20 and/or heard via the speaker 86, not accepting (rejecting) oraccepting, evaluating and scoring such response, recording suchresponse, and outputting a temporary or permanent record of theresponse. In particular, it can be advantageous if the permanent recordis in the form of the card 48, which form is machine readable tofacilitate a reading of the score and/or response by either a thirdparty or the host 50. It is to be understood that the circuitry of FIG.4 constitutes only one possible embodiment of the invention forperforming these functions and that other embodiments employing adigital computer suitably programmed (not shown) may also be employed.

The response unit 22 comprises three decoders 96, 98, and 100, aregister 102, a score counter 104, a memory 106 for storing data, and amemory 108 for storing an operating program, a timer 110, a gate 112, abuffer store 114, a comparator 116 for comparing output signals of thestore 114 with the memory 106, a logic unit 118, and a clock 120, thesecomponents being in addition to the keyboard 44 and the dispenser 46disclosed previously with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3.

In operation, the memory 106 stores data with respect to the answerswhich are to be provided by the viewing audience. For example, in theevent that the viewing audience is composed of children in a children'sshow wherein children are learning to identify colors, the host maypoint successively to a red hat, a blue table, and a green car andrequest to know the colors of the respective objects. In such case, thememory 106 would store response criteria, in this instance, the wordsred, blue, and green in the sequence corresponding to the order in whichthe objects are to be addressed by the host. The keys on the keyboard 44may be similarly colored to enable entry of the correct response.Alternatively, for older children, the keyboard may be an alphanumerickeyboard, as is found on a typewriter, in which case the viewingaudience is to type the words corresponding to the colors addressed bythe host. In this case, the comparator 116 would compare the spelling ofthe words entered via the keyboard 44 with the spelling of the colorsstored in the memory 106. The buffer store 114 stores the responsesentered via the keyboard 44 to enable the comparator 116 to compare theresponse with the data stored in the memory 106.

The method and system of the invention lend themselves particularly wellto educational shows for children. Questions pertaining to educationaltoys, to books, to stories and to subjects being taught or addressed,are interspersed in the show. Children are rewarded with tokens or otherforms of award, such as coupons redeemable at candy stores, ice creamparlors, and the like.

The score counter 104 operates under command from the program memory 108to score each correct response signal outputted by the comparator 116.When the response entered at the keyboard 44 agrees with the data storedin the memory 106, the comparator 116 outputs a logic-1 signal via gate112 to the counter 104. The output signal of the comparator 116 servesas an enable signal to initiate a count by the counter 104. The counterincrements its count by 1, 2, 3, or other amount depending on themagnitude of the score to be awarded for the correct response. In theevent that the response is to be timed in the sense that a limited timeis available for the response, then the timer 110 is activated by theprogram memory 108 to render the gate 112 in a state of conduction ofsignals of the comparator 116 only during the interval of time when theresponse is permitted. Both before and after this interval of time, thetimer 110 places the gate 112 in a state of nonconduction so that aresponse entered at the keyboard 44 outside of the desired responseinterval, or "window", cannot enable the counter 104 to increment ormodify the score.

The output count, score, or evaluation of the counter 104 is applied tothe dispenser 46 which includes a recording medium, such as the card 48,for providing a permanent record of the score. The dispenser 46 includessuitable magnetic recording heads (not shown) for recording informationon the card 48 in a well known fashion. In addition, if desired, thedispenser 46 may include well-known encryption circuitry for recordingthe score on the card 48 in a fashion which cannot be read except by anautomatic card reader having circuitry for decrypting the recordedmessage. The dispenser 46 is activated by the program memory 108 toaccomplish the foregoing recording of the score.

The score counter/evaluator 104 can take different forms. While thescore counting function is described herein for illustrative purposes,it should be understood that unit 104 may be designed to perform theprocessing of data entered by respondents on keyboard 44 or other dataentering device. Included in such processing are, for instance, thecomputerized processing of data provided by respondents in accordancewith one of several programs stored in memory 108 and brought into playby the instructional or command signals transmitted by transmitters 72or 74. Questionnaires or forms used in market research may be stored indispenser 46 or may be placed into it by respondents. Following a set ofquestions, or upon the completion of the broadcast, processed orunprocessed data are issued by dispenser 46 in the form of hard copytaking the form of one of the embodiments described.

If desired, the actual response entered at the keyboard 44, such as thewords red, blue, and green of the foregoing example, may be recorded bythe dispenser 46. For this purpose, the responses are coupled from thebuffer store 114 to a register 102 wherein the responses are storedprior to recording at the dispenser 46. After all of the responses havebeen stored in the register 102, the program memory 108 strobes theregister 102 to pass the data of the responses into the dispenser 46 forrecordation upon the card 48 or such other form of storage media as maybe employed.

The printout mechanism or marking device may take different forms tomeet the requirements of the broadcast, whether quiz programs,educational programs, tests surveys or other task setting assignments.These devices may be relatively small, utilizing a continuous tape asthe substrate to which the markings are applied, or they may utilizefull page printouts. The recording medium may be a special form or blankdispensed individually by the device as a cut section, or may takeother, discontinuous shapes.

Although completely blank forms may be used in recording respondents'entries in the data entering device, in many instances the forms orblanks preferably are provided with lines, grids or matrices for easiersubsequent scoring of responses recorded on such forms or blanks.

To prevent tampering, forging and counterfeiting, the recording mediummay comprise material, such as paper or cardboard stock, plastic and thelike, of special composition or containing admixtures of identifiablesubstances facilitating recognition by electronic or other sensing andscanning devices. Verification may also be facilitated by usingrecording media that are colored, coated, embossed, textured, magnetizedor otherwise given recognizable properties.

By replacing the recording media, such as rolls of paper tape,periodically, and by stipulating redemption of the record thus createdwithin a specified time period, the unauthorized reproduction, tamperingwith and counterfeiting of the marked recording media can, for allpractical purposes, be prevented.

The marking may be applied by any known methods, including printing withor without impact, using ink sprays, heat, magnetic pulses, laser beamsand other light sources. The markings may also take the form ofdepressions and embossed configurations legible by appropriate devices.

In addition, to prevent tampering, the recording mechanism, such as aprinter, can be provided with means for alternatively and selectivelyapplying one of a plurality of different types of markings. As anexample, the color, intensity, width, spacing, positioning, font andresolution of the markings may be built into the recording means and maybe controlled by radio or other electronic command signals from acentral station.

The shape and configuration of the markings to be utilized at anyparticular time and subject to change at any time, includes numbers,letters, dots, dashes, regular and irregular shapes, codes, symbols andother configurations, which may be discrete, connected or continuous.The markings may also comprise shapes and configurations having nodiscernible pattern and readable only by appropriate scanning, readingor decoding means.

The number of combinations and permutations of the above mentionedproperties of the recording media and markings is so large aspractically to preclude tampering, forging, altering, counterfeiting orreproduction of authentic records; the unauthorized manufacture ofspecial composition paper alone, would be far too costly andparticularly time consuming to be practical.

If magnetized cards are used and validated by dispenser, the validationmay be erased at the time a card is presented for redemption, so that itmay be re-used.

It is noted that the data to be stored in the memory 106 is provided bythe instruction signal on line 122 or 124 from the demodulators of thereceiving stations 16 or 18. The digital format of the instructionalsignal is decoded by the decoder 96 to extract the portion of the signalrelating to the data which is to be stored in memory 106. The decoder 98decodes that portion of the signal which is to be employed forpresetting the timer 110 for the designated interval of response time.The decoder 100 decodes that portion of the instruction signal whichpresets the memory 108 to any one of a number of previously storedformats for responding to situations presented in the studio 14. In thisregard, it is noted that the form of the instructional signal followscommon communication practice wherein the instructional signal is set upas a sequence of digital words or fields which identify respectiveportions of the message dealing with data, timing interval, and programcommands. Thereby, the decoders 96, 98 and 100 are able to recognize thespecific parts of the instructional signal and to extract the requisitedata and commands.

The control logic 118 operates in response to a succession of clockpulses provided by the clock pulses provided provided by the clock 120for outputting control function signals to the memories 106 and 108 andto the buffer store 114. A connection between the keyboard 44 and thelogic unit 118 provides for a control function, such as an entry commandwhereby a person responding directs the store 114 to enter the datainputted by the keyboard 44. The control logic of the unit 118 may alsobe activated by a command from the program memory 108. Thereby, theresponse unit 22 is capable of receiving, scoring, and recording aresponse entered by a member of the audience at a remote receivingstation.

The construction of the foregoing system of the invention permits itsuse in numerous situations involving participation wherein members inthe external home-shopping audience are to participate with members ofthe studio audience in situations requiring participation. An example ofthe utility of the system may be demonstrated by considering a combinedtelevision home-shopping and game/quiz show involving both people athome as well as in the studio. The invention makes it possible tobroadcast such a combined show permitting home viewers to becomeparticipants and contestants. The invention is applicable to a varietyof present and future game shows.

As an illustration, the quiz portion of a program may include the taskof listing, in reverse chronological order, the names of all teamshaving won the baseball World Series, or the World Soccer Championship.A time limit is set which makes it impossible for contestants to enterall correct answers; this is common practice in aptitude tests.

There are five contestants on the studio stage. Each studio contestantis equipped with well known means to write, print, type or otherwiseenter his or her response on a board, keyboard or other data enteringdevice adapted so that the responses, in the process of being entered,may be projected on a screen or screens visible to the studio audience,but not to the contestants and not to the home viewers until thepredetermined time limit has been reached, or until the time allowed hassubstantially been consumed. The responses of studio contestants can bedisplayed to the studio audience and to home viewers with some delay,thereby preventing any of the home contestants from benefiting from theanswers of the stage contestants.

It therefore is an object of the system described to elicit responsesfrom contestants at remote sites and to capture their responses in theirdata entering devices essentially before the responses given by stage orstudio contestants become known to home contestants. This isaccomplished by projecting the questions on a screen hidden from studiocontestants but in view of the camera 54. Concurrently with, or prior tothe projection of the questions, the host 50 employs the keyboard 58 totransmit instructions to the response units 22 of the remote audience.The response entered by a participant in the remote audience is timedand is subject to a time limit, the time period to conclude before thequestions are presented to the studio contestants. Thereby, theresponses of the remote audience are not influenced by the responses ofthe studio contestants. Keyboard 58 may be operated by a person otherthan the quiz show host and may be situated on-stage or off-stage.

In a simple version, the system can be employed to attract viewers andlisteners not normally disposed to participate in game or quiz shows perse, but willing to answer a few unobtrusive questions, especially ifpertaining to a subject of interest to the viewer. By responding toquestions, a home viewer can, in effect, act as a contestant. Thequestions to be answered by home viewers and radio listeners can beinterspersed in shows other than quiz shows and can be so simple as torequire essentially only a confirmation by participants of being tunedin to a particular program.

Thus, for instance, home participants may be asked to identify the soapopera character who earlier appeared in the program. Or home viewers ofa sports program may be asked to name a player who just scored. Theseimplementations of the system and accompanying awards to a correctanswer are intended to increase the television and radio audience.Viewers of a soap opera or persons listening to a radio sportsbroadcast, constitute a highly targeted audience and as a result of thelower per-household cost, advertisers will be able to award morevaluable coupons and prizes to successful respondents. Participants whohave given an acceptable answer can be rewarded with a coupon of definedvalue to be redeemed in cash, or to be applied to the price of aspecified product or to the price of any product in a specified retailoutlet. Other forms of rewards, whether of commercial or symbolic value,may be devised.

The quantitative results obtained by this method can also be used in thestatistical analysis and the reactions of audiences tuned in to certainprograms. It is noted that the equipment of the invention may well beinstalled in numerous selected or random households in which case,responses by household members can readily serve as a bases forstatistically sampling peoples' responses to a product, service,political candidates, corporate images and other subjects of surveys.The increased audience provided by the invention is significant insurvey and market research fields because, by way of example, anincrease of sample size from 2000 to 2 million will reduce a samplingerror from 3% to 0.1%.

In the field of qualitative market analysis and consumer research, thesystem and methods described can be employed very effectively,substituting home viewers and listeners for the so-called focus groupsor other population samples used to determine buyer responses toproducts and services. The versatility and flexibility of the homekeyboard or other data entering device are particularly well suited tothe elicitation of unbiased responses to questions or statements byadvertising agencies and market analysts. The market research and othersurveys and polls made possible by the system and methods described, canbe part of a regular quiz show or can can be conducted separately.Respondents are rewarded for their cooperation by issuing certificates,coupons and the like to them. The permanent records produced by thedispensing means in remote locations can be mailed to the researchorganization. For this purpose the forms dispensed by the dispensers inparticipants' homes can take the form of self-addressed returnenvelopes. Special printed forms may be used in conducting research intorespondents' reactions to tasks or questions. Coupon awards may bedispensed separately or may be a tear-off section of a survey form.

For the implementation of game/quiz shows, the following advantages ofthe invention are noted. The system of the invention does not requireany wiring or rewiring of a home nor the use of telephone lines, and maybe offered to viewers free of charge. A telephone is suggested merely asa convenient and rapid means for interaction between respondent andhost, but is not required to practice the invention. For example, theexternal audience might be located in a separate room within walkingdistance from the studio in which case interaction can be accomplishedpersonally by allowing a member of the external audience to walk over tothe studio. The system permits home viewers to participate in quiz showson the spur of the moment without advance notice and without anyrequirement for special forms or entry blanks. The system can besuperposed upon a variety of game and quiz shows to permit viewerparticipation without interference with existing show formats, and hasthe advantage of expanding the television audience, thereby attractingsponsors of the shows. The machine readable card 48, or a one-timecoupon which may be outputted by the dispenser 46, may be presented orredeemed for prizes by successful participants at a local store or otherbusiness establishment cooperating with the broadcaster.

The system provides simplicity in the administration of the game byidentification of the successful respondents; this is readilyaccomplished at the dispenser 46 in each remote location by imprintingeach card 48 or token with the name of the respondent. In particular, ifdesired, the name of the respondent can be inputted at the keyboard 44as are other answers to questions. The questions may includemultiple-part questions and may require multiple choice answers, ifdesired. The questions may require simple answers such as yes or no, asingle word such as a number or a color, or a plurality of words as in aphrase or narrative. Operation of the score counter 104 for variouschoices of answer permit a scoring of partially correct responses andthose meeting a predetermined response criteria. In its simplest form,the keyboard may be provided with only two keys to answer yes or no,while in a more complex form, the keyboard may include the alphanumericcharacter keys for entering words or phrases.

If, as an example, a respondent must select a number from the numbers 1through 9, and if the completely accurate answer is 5, the comparatorunit may be programmed so as to accept any number between 4 and 6, or 3and 6, etc.

By way of alternative embodiments to the invention, it is noted that thecomparator 116 may output a multiple-bit digital word wherein theadditional bits are provided by the memory 106 dependent on t hespecific answer stored in the memory 106, which answer is compared tothe response within the buffer store 114. For example, if two possibleresponses would be regarded as correct, but one of the two responses ispreferred, then the comparator 116 would output an additional bit forthe preferred response. The additional bit would be passed by the gate112 to advance the count of the counter 104, thereby to increase thescore by a larger amount when the preferred response is entered at thekeyboard 44.

The formatting and reformatting can provide for various ways ofweighting the responses of home contestants, such as straight lineadditions, geometric and exponential progressions, or computations ofscores based on formulas incorporating discrete groups of responses.Thus, score counter 104 may be replaced with a microcomputer (not shown)which is responsive to commands from the memory 108 for combining inputsfrom keyboard 44, memories 106 and 108, and capable of reflecting thetime element, to serve, in effect, as an evaluator of complex answers.

According to the present invention, questions may be transmitted fromthe central station, to which more than one acceptable answer may begiven, the answers varying in the degree of difficulty from therespondent's standpoint. As an example, a question may call for naming aminimum of two European cities, the names beginning with the letter M,this being difficulty level 1. Difficulty level 2 might call for foursuch cities and difficulty level 3 might call for six such cities, allanswers to be entered within 30 seconds. The particular difficulty levelmay by specified by the person controlling the transmission, or it maybe selected by the individual respondent prior to seeing or hearing thequestion. In order to enable a contestant to choose a difficulty level,the host may announce or hint at the general nature or the context ofthe question about to be asked. The degree of difficulty will normallydetermine the value of the prize, etc. The device evaluating theresponses may dispense records, e.g. coupons, certificates and the likeof different value or in different denominations. For instance, it mayissue a 10 cent coupon at level 1, and 25 cent coupon at level 2, and a50 cent coupon at level 3. The coupons may be redeemed in retailestablishments, the coupons being similar to those contained innewspapers. It should be understood, therefore, that in addition to thedifficulty level set by the host, a higher difficulty level may besuperimposed by an individual contestant, as will be disclosedsubsequently with reference to FIGS. 6-10.

By use of encryption, the card 48 provides an essentially tamper-proofrecord. The invention is applicable, not only to home viewers but alsoto viewers in a public establishment such as a restaurant or schoolwherein people may participate as teams. The questions may be gradatedto be suitable for a variety of audiences varying from those havinglimited formal education to those having special interests. By use ofthe timer 110, the studio host can designate the beginning and end of aresponse interval, and vary the time limit allowed from question toquestion. In addition, the invention lends itself to the development offurther forms of game and quiz shows. The difficulty level can beincreased by decreasing an allocated time for response.

As an example in the use of the invention in the educational field, thememories of the response units at the remote locations receive andretain instructional signals from a central transmitting stationconveying the correct, preferred, or acceptable response or responses tothe task posed by the task-setting message. Upon completion of a task bya respondent, or upon lapsing of the allotted time, the printoutmechanism is activated by the instructional signals so as to communicateor so as to dispense in hard copy form the correct or preferred responseto each respondent at remote locations. In this manner, a student whoreceives a printout containing his or her scored response, also receivesthe "textbook" solution or most desirable response to the taskpresented. For comparison purposes, the dispenser may provide printedhard copy containing a student's original response.

The foregoing features in the operation of the system of the inventionare readily applied to the educational field to encourage both earlyeducational experiences among children as well as for home-study coursesfor high school and university students. In the educational field, thesituation portrayed in the studio and presented on the television screenmay be in the nature of a task-setting situation rather than that of apure question. The appropriate response be a brief statement, anequation, or may contain a number of cross-referenced key words or keyphrases or symbols. The system of the invention may be implemented alsoby closed circuit television and cable television as well as by thebroadcast situation of FIG. 1. The keyboard 44 at each of the responseunits 22 may be a standard typewriter keyboard, as noted above, or mayinclude a display of the typed response such as is presently availableon some electronic typewriters.

Such a display would be useful in the answering of examination questionsfor home-study programs. It is also noted that the keyboard 44 isrepresentative of a response entry device, and may, if desired, bereplaced by other entry devices such as a joystick, switches, or adevice responsive to a spoken voice.

Response evaluation means referred to herein may include, whenappropriate, as for example in the educational field, scanning devicescapable of recognizing symbols, diagrams, charts, formulas, equationsand drawings responsive to the response criteria.

In the practice of the invention, the answers given by studiocontestants may, for instance, be displayed to the studio audienceand/or broadcast to TV-viewers following a predetermined delay of, say5-20 seconds. During this 5-20 second period, the data or responseentering devices of the stage contestants, or the studio displaydevices, may be made inoperative, so that no answers may be enteredand/or displayed, even if the stage contestants are aware of thequestions. Other ways of staggering the "response windows" by 5-20seconds or more can be devised.

This time lag is intended to make the answers projected on studioscreens following the time lag useless to home contestants from thepoint of view of total time allowed for response. By the time thecorrect answers are televised, all or a critical amount of the allottedtime will have elapsed. This forces home contestants to enter theirresponses before knowing the responses of studio contestants.

By way of example only, a typical sequence of events as pertaining to aquiz show with studio and home contestants is as follows: TV homeviewers and contestants see and hear the questions without delay.However, the questions are presented to stage contestants and the studioaudience after a delay of 5-20 seconds. The respective contestants maybegin answering questions upon their presentation, subject to timelimits. Acceptable responses are presented to everyone, only after thestage contestants have completed their time for response.

To provide attention-attracting action on stage for the studio audienceand TV-viewers who are not contestants, the announcer or master ofceremonies can set the stage for the questions, or he can read thequestions to the stage contestants and the audience, thereby, consuming5-20 seconds. The questions are displayed on a screen, visible to allTV-viewers, including home contestants. Other ways of giving homecontestants a head start of 5-20 seconds, or more, can be devised. Inanother embodiment, the responses by stage contestants are entered, butnot displayed for a predetermined period of time. Home contestants maybe allotted more or less time than studio participants. If there is onlyone participant or contestant on stage, the quiz show still follows theconcept outlined.

As an example, the use of key words and key phrases is illustrated inthe context of a game show described hereinafter, which might beentitled "Definitions". the host presents a situation, hints at, orannounces a dictionary word and defines the task as one of providing thecorrect definition or definitions of such word. The dictionarydefinition, frequently a phrase, is of course an acceptable answer.Using the task word "many" as an example, an indispensable key work thatwould have to appear in any acceptable response would be the word"number". However, two or more definitions may exist for a task word.

It will be obvious that this type of show lends itself well toevaluating partially correct and less-than-exhaustive responses. Partialcredit may be given to definitions that are reasonably close to thedictionary definition. A more complex task in the context of said showmight be the definition of the word "set", for which a large number ofdefinitions exist. Cumulative credits may be awarded to contestantslisting a plurality of key definition words or phrases.

According to another show format, separate quiz programs for studiocontestants and home contestants may be conducted concurrently by thesame game show host. He may, for instance, conduct one quiz program forstudio contestants in the manner described and while the studiocontestants ponder their answers may present supplemental, or a separateset of, questions to home contestants, to which the latter respond inaccordance with the method of the present invention. Such separatequestions for home contestants may be posed by a second or off-stageannouncer.

In the United States, Europe and other regions, television programs arefrequently broadcast repetitively in different time zones. In the caseof game shows, this enables television viewers who are tuned in to suchprogram and who are in a time zone which first receives one such game orquiz show to inform members of an audience in another time zone of thecorrect responses to tasks or questions, thus ensuring such members inother time zones of winning an award without having independentlycorrectly responded to such tasks. This potential problem resulting froma sequential broadcasting of television game shows in the context of thepresent invention will now be addressed.

When the awards offered successful contestants are of a monetary valuerepresenting, say 10-15 percent of the price of the merchandise, and aredesigned only to attract buyers to a store, then a sponsor, such as amanufacturer, may choose to ignore the risk of, or may even welcome,having members of an audience in a first time zone provide members in alater time zone, who themselves did not think of the correct answer,with an appropriate response. Awarding such viewer a 10 percent discountis similar to making 10 percent discount coupons available throughnewspapers and magazines.

A more serious problem may arise when a sponsor or manufacturer offersawards of a larger magnitude. In such instances, it is desirable toemploy a method, and such methods are hereinafter described, whichpermit airing a quiz or educational program presenting tasks orquestions calling for different responses in different time zones. Thisis achieved by a modified version of the methods described above, whichmodified methods may be practiced with the systems described in thisspecification and accompanying drawings.

For example, a host or professor may stand in front of a map of theworld. He or she poses the question "In which country is the river towhich I am pointing located?" For purposes of this illustration, theaudio portion of the question is referred to herein as a "modulequestion", and normally a quiz show or educational program comprisesmany such module questions. The object of formulating module questionsis to be able easily and economically to substitute such modulequestions for each other in the same show, which normally is taped priorto airing. Such a module question, consisting of the audio portion ofthe question can easily and economically be replaced by another audioportion, while the more costly video portion (the host pointing to amap) remains the same.

In such a modified method, a part of all of a question or task presentedin a program in one time zone, are differentiated and are different fromthe corresponding question or task asked in a similar program aired inanother time one. This is achieved by formulating at least a part of aquestion or task in interchangeable module form.

Either an entire question may be substituted in a program, or a part ofa question may be substituted. If only a part of a question is to besubstituted, such part can for instance be a part or all of only thevideo portion of a question. Normally, such interchangeable modulequestions will be of approximately the same length, so as not to affectthe overall length of a program.

If a program comprises an entertainment portion and a game or quiz showportion, the part of the show consisting of questions or tasks may beproduced and taped separately and independently of the entertainment ofother portions of the show. Many forms of implementation of this methodmay be devised. The example given below is illustrative of only one ofthe alternative methods which achieve the above mentioned object.

According to a preferred method, a plurality of sets of different tasksis formulated, using one set of tasks in one time zone and another setof tasks in another time zone. Although the tasks may differ in theirentirety, a preferred method is described wherein the tasks differ onlywith respect to their audio portion.

In the taping of the show, the video portion is the same in all tapes,irrespective of the time zone in which such program is to be aired ortransmitted by cable. The audio and video portions together form aquestion or task. The audio portions of module questions change from onesuch program to the next. Thus the host or professor is seen in allversions of the show to be pointing to the same map. He or she will,however, tape a plurality of oral module questions, only one of thesemodule questions being used in any one time zone. With reference to theabove example, in which a host points to a map of the world, anothermodule question may be "What is the name of the river?" Yet another suchmodule question by the host may be "Is the river to which I am pointingamong the five longest rivers in the world?"

The above described example involves the same host or professor asking aset of questions, each of which questions must be taped in its entirety.This necessitates the involvement of the host in asking a set ofsuccessive oral questions, while the video portion remains the same. Inanother version of this preferred method, the module questions, that isthe audio portions of each question, are asked by an off-cameraannouncer. This method has the advantage that in the taping of the show,the host spends only sufficient time in front of the camera to ask onequestion, the host providing such action in front of the camera as isrequired to make the oral module question asked by the off-cameraannouncer intelligible. Thus, the host may silently point to an object,such as a map, for a length of time permitting an off-camera announcerto pose one module question. Other module questions asked by theoff-camera announcer and accompanying the same video portion showing thehost, are dubbed or inserted into the appropriate part of the tape. Inthe taping of a quiz show intended to be aired in four time zones, anoff-camera announcer therefore asks four sets of module questions, oneset of these oral questions being inserted into the appropriate place ineach of the four program tapes used in transmitting the show in the fourtime zones.

Yet another example of a simplified version of the above methods mayentail a projection of a scene or the filming of an object without ahost being present. The object could be a well-known personality, or apicture of such personality; or an action shot of such personality maybe used. An off-camera announcer may ask a number of oral or modulequestions to meet the requirements of the number of shows to the shownin different time zones.

The examples set forth are simple ones and many different and morecomplex versions and implementations of the home quiz show are possibleand will occur to game show producers.

In some instances, such as in market research, the system described canbe employed to identify consumers meeting certain criteria. In thatevent, the memory and control elements of response unit 22 areprogrammed in accordance with the requirements of the particularconsumer research. Response unit 22 normally is placed in remotelocations, which need not be homes and can be other private and publicplaces. In an alternative application of the system, the response unit22 is equipped with appropriate means capable of limiting the functionsof the scoring and evaluation means. For this purpose, controls andswitches (not shown) are provided, which cause memories 106 and 108,logic control 118, comparator 116 and gate 112 to selectively performonly those evaluating functions required for the specific application.In such an event, dispenser 46 receives only partially processed dataand generates a record of responses entered on keyboard 44 reflectingresponses evaluated only to the desired extent and resembling theoriginal information entered by respondents. Respondents are rewarded inone of the manners previously described.

It is a particular advantage of the present system that the kind ofdata-entering device may vary between different remote locations.Furthermore, the kind of data entering, scoring or evaluating deviceinstalled at different locations may vary in accordance with theintended use. Thus, for instance, in selected remote locations,electronic devices of known design may be installed, which are capableof subjecting the raw data entered by respondents to computer analysis.

The invention may be practiced by providing two or more response unitsat each remote location together with one set of program presentingmeans. Providing more than one response unit, including means to modifya difficulty level and timing, and including comparison, storing,scoring and dispensing means in, for example, one household, enables twoor more family members to become contestants by responding individuallyto a situation presented by a single television or radio receiver basedon a program transmission from a central station. In a public place, aplurality of response units will generate increased and competitiveparticipation by persons present.

FIG. 5 shows the buffer store 114, the register 102 and the programmemory 108, as well as further details of the dispenser 46 of FIG. 4 toaccomplish the imprinting of a response on a recording medium, such as apaper or card, having a prescribed format for the entry of answers. Ashas been noted hereinabove, such a data entry form or questionnaire, isuseful for providing responses by respondents in situations such ascontests, educational and advertising promotional or researchactivities. An example of such a questionnaire 126 is shown in FIG. 5.Therein, blocks numbered 1-6 are provided for entry of responses bymembers of the audience at the remote receiving stations 16 and 18.

Also shown in FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the keyboard 44,the view showing a keypad with keys for the entry of identifyingnumerals for identifying the blocks of the questionnaire 126 in whichthe respective answers are to be entered. The respondent identifies aquestionnaire block by holding down a control key Q while typing theidentifying numeral on the keyboard 44. The response to be entered inthat block is then typed by use of the alphabet keys of the keyboard 44.

The dispenser 46 comprises a decoder 128, a printer 130 and aprogrammable read-only memory (PROM) 132. In operation, the typed answerand the questionnaire block identification is applied by the keyboard 44and via the store 114 to the register 102. The contents of the register102, as described hereinabove, are subsequently transferred to thedispenser 46. The decoder 128 detects the presence of a digital wordproduced by the control key Q, and thereby decodes the incoming digitalsignals from the register 102 so as to separate the block identificationfrom the response. The decoder 128 activates the printer 130, upon theappearance of the response, to print the response on the questionnaire126, the latter having been previously placed into the dispenser 46 bythe respondent. The decoder also addresses the PROM 132 with the blockidentification, whereupon the PROM 132 outputs the block location to theprinter 130 to direct the printer 130 to print the response at thecorrect location on the questionnaire 126. Information with respect tothe layout of the questionnaire 126 is loaded into the PROM 132 by theprogram memory 108 as directed by the instructional signal on line 122or 124 of FIG. 4.

Alternatively, the block location data and the responses may be storedon the card 48 for printing out at another location, such as thefacilities of an advertiser or a company providing the promotionalactivities. The response may include a narrative text, in which case thecomparator 116 may be employed to signal the presence of key words inthe response, which have been previously entered into the data memory106.

By way of further embodiments of the invention, it is noted that thedispenser 46 may include a group of trays 134 each of which stores aseparate set of forms such as the questionnaire 126 upon which aresponse is to be printed. The trays 134 are activated by a controlsignal from the program memory 108 to present a blank form to theprinter 130 to be imprinted with the response. Information with respectto the desired form to be employed in response to a task-settingsituation is loaded into the program memory 108 by the instructionalsignal on line 122 or 124, whereby an instructor or the host 50 in aclassroom or in the studio 14 designates the requisite form for use inpreparing the response. The completed form, or questionnaire 126, exitsa slot 136 of the printer 130. The completed questionnaire 126 may beprovided on any suitable recording medium which serves as a hard copysuch as paper, plastic strip, or plastic card.

As was shown with respect to FIG. 4, the score counter 104 is undercontrol of the program memory 108. This permits the score counter 104 tobe activated and deactivated by commands transmitted via theinstructional signal. In the outputting of the foregoing questionnaire126 from the printer 130 with words printed in the appropriate blocks, ascore can also be imprinted upon the questionnaire 126 upon activationof the counter 104, which score is omitted upon deactivation of thecounter 104.

At the discretion of the television program conductor and that ofindividual viewers, different difficulty levels may be applied toindividual questions, it being understood that answers to more difficultquestions or answers to the same questions at higher difficulty levelmay carry with them larger awards. However, even if only one set ofresponse criteria is established for a task, it is understood that suchresponse criteria carry a specified difficulty level. Each successfulrespondent may be issued a printout or similar hard copy displaying thevalue of the award and containing a code which is verifiable over thetelephone by a central station, or without the use of a telephone, by acooperating store or merchandising center, for issuing an award.

FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of the invention having greaterversatility in the evaluation of learning situations and the scoring ofgames and contests by means of a system 200. In the system 200, acentral station 202 includes a studio 204, such as a television studio,and broadcasts programs to many remote receiving stations, one suchstation 206 being shown by way of example. Each of the receivingstations 206 includes means, such as a television screen 208, forobserving a broadcast program, and means by which persons in a remoteviewing audience can respond to situations presented in the studio 204.The response means is shown as a response unit 210 which, as will bedescribed hereinafter, includes circuitry for evaluating and recordingresponses entered by persons in the viewing audience.

A television program is conducted in the studio 204 by a host 212. Whilevarious types of programs may be employed in conjunction with the studyof specific subject matter, for example, a course in advertising orpackaging, in which there is a display of a specimen 214 of merchandise,or other subject of interest, to members of a remote television audience216 located at the remote receiving stations 206, a game programemploying a television game 218 is presented by way of illustration ofthe invention. The use of a game is a recognized technique in theteaching of children, as well as older persons, in a classroom. Thespecimen 214 might be an article, such as furniture or clothing,normally offered for sale, or other type of object such as a painting oranimal in the case of study of such subject matter. For example, in astudy of architecture, the "specimen" would be a model of a building,and in a home-study course of geography, the "specimen" would be a mapor other teaching aid. In the case of services being offered, thespecimen may take the form of an advertisement of such services. Eachreceiving station 206 is provided with a television system 220 whichreceives broadcast transmissions 222 of the televised game show forpresentation on the television screen 208.

In the studio 204, the host 212, or an associate who may be off-camera,is provided with two keyboards 224 and 226, respectively, for enteringappropriate responses to situations posed by the game 218 (responsecriteria) and for entering appropriate guidelines for scoring theresponses (scoring mode). The game 218 and the specimen 214 are viewedby a television camera 228 which provides video signals for thebroadcast transmission 222. It is to be understood that, in addition tothe remote audience 216, a local or studio audience (not shown) may bepresent within the studio 204 for participating in the game 218. Thehost 212 addresses the local audience and the remote audience by meansof a microphone 230, the microphone 230 providing an audio signal forthe broadcast transmission 222. In this example of the television game,a video signal is transmitted to the remote audience to present apicture of of the game situation, this signal being followed by an audiosignal in which the host describes the task to be performed by theremote audience, which task may be the answering of specific questionsin a designated fashion. As described above, when confronted with a timezone problem, one or more off-camera announcers ask a number ofquestions in the form of the oral or module questions, which modulequestions are then selectively inserted into the tapes of televisionprograms to be broadcast successively in different time zones.Alternatively, the second signal describing the task may be transmittedover the video channel by use of a display in front of the studioaudience, the display having the questions set forth in large letteringwhich is read readily.

With reference to both FIGS. 6 and 10, the central station 202 providesfor a modulation of signals of the instructional signal group outputtedby the keyboards 224 and 226 for the predetermined responses and scoringcriteria within the audio channel to occupy narrow spectral bands in theupper portion of the audio spectral band. The system 200 is readilydescribed in terms of four or more signals, the first signal being thetelevision signal portraying activity in the studio 204. The secondsignal provides the description of the task to be performed by thestudio and/or the remote audience. The studio scene and the task carriedby the first two signals are presented diagrammatically in time sequenceby a graph shown alongside the camera 228. The third signal carries thedesignated criteria for a response or range of responses entered by thehost 212 upon the keyboard 224, such criteria being, by way of example,key words to be entered by the respondents. The fourth signal providesthe scoring mode or guidelines entered by the host 212 upon the keyboard226, such scoring being, by way of example, that an answer of the word"fish" is worth three points while an answer of the word "salmon" isworth five points. Additional examples of response criteria and scoringmode have been discussed hereinabove.

As example of a further signal, a fifth signal providing a verificationcode for use in verifying a printout of awards at a remote station maybe sent subsequently along the same channel employed for transmission ofthe scoring criteria. The passbands of the third and the fourth signals,namely the response criteria and the scoring mode signals respectively,are indicated in FIG. 10, both of these passbands being much narrowerthan the passband of the audio spectrum, and carrying signal amplitudeof relatively low levels, as compared to the audio signal, so as toavoid any interference with the transmission of the voice of the host212. Since four separate signal channels are provided for the first fourof the foregoing signals, these signals may be transmitted in anydesired time sequence including a concurrent transmission of a pluralityof these signals. One or more of the signals of the four channels may beretransmitted with an updated message, such as a reformatted scoringmode, to adapt the game program to audience responses, thereby toprovide interaction between the host and the remote audience.

The central station 202 further comprises two signal processors 232 and234, the summer 236, a combiner 238, a transmitter 240 and twooscillators 242 and 244 coupled respectively to the processors 232 and234. The microphone 230 is connected to a first input terminal of thesummer 236. The processor 232 is connected between the keyboard 224 anda second input terminal of the summer 236 for encoding designatedresponse signals outputted by the keyboard 224, and for modulating thesignals onto a carrier frequency F₁, which carrier frequency lies in theresponse signal band of FIG. 10.

Similarly, the processor 234 is connected between the keyboard 226 and athird input terminal of the summer 236 for coding scoring mode signalsoutputted by the keyboard 226, and for modulating these signals onto acarrier frequency F₂, the carrier frequency F₂ being within the scoresignal band of FIG. 10. The summer 236 combines the response and thescore signals with the audio signal of the microphone 230 to output asum signal to the combiner 238. The combiner 238 operates in awell-known fashion to combine the audio signal of the microphone 230with the video signal of the camera 228 to output a composite televisionsignal to the transmitter 240 for transmission via antenna 246 as thebroadcast transmission 222.

Each of the processors 232 and 234 are constructed of the samecomponents, these components being an encoder 248, a register 250, amodulator 252, a bandpass filter 254, and a clock 256. The operations ofboth of the processors 232 and 234 are the same and, accordingly, onlythe operation of the processor 234 need be described, it beingunderstood that this description applies also to the processor 232.

In operation, the encoder 248 digitally encodes signals provided byrespective keys 258 of the keyboard 226. The clock 256 outputs both ahigh speed clock signal and a low speed clock signal to the register250. The high speed signal has a relatively high pulse repetitionfrequency for strobing bits of a digital signal outputted by the encoder248 at a relatively high speed into the register 250. The bits of thedigital signal are than outputted from the register 250 at a relativelylow rate to the modulator 252 in response to strobing of the register250 by the low speed clock signal. This arrangement of the high and lowspeed clocking allows a command to be entered at the keyboard 226rapidly by the host 212, and then to be transmitted relatively slowly asa component of the audio signal. The slow transmission minimizes therequisite width of the score signal passband (FIG. 10). The modulator252 may employ a suitable form of modulation as is commonly employed,such as amplitude modulation or phase modulation, for modulating thedigital signal on the F₂ carrier. The modulated signal outputted by themodulator 252 is then coupled via the filter 254 to the summer 236, thefilter 254 limiting the spectral components of the modulated signal tothe desired passband of FIG. 10. In the same manner, the processor 232digitally encodes signals entered by keys 260 of the keyboard 224, andmodulates the digitally encoded signals of the designated response uponthe F₁ carrier.

The television system 220 comprises a receiver 262, three demodulators264, 266, and 268, a speaker 270, two bandpass filters 272 and 274, andtwo oscillators 276 and 278. Also shown in FIG. 6 is a telephone circuit280 including a telephone at the remote station 206 and a telephone atthe central station 202 which enable interaction in the form of directcommunication between a member of the remote audience 216 and a personat the central station 202. The telephone at the central station 202enables members of the remote audience 216 to communicate, when desired,with the host 212, for instance, to furnish their names for announcingon the air. The telephone circuit 280 is presented as a convenientlyimplemented form of communication system, it being understood that suchcommunication is an optional feature and not essential to the practiceof the invention, and that other forms of communication systems may beemployed.

In operation, the receiver 262 receives the broadcast transmission 222via an antenna 282, and outputs the received signal to the demodulator264. The demodulator 264 operates in a well-known fashion to separatethe audio and video portions of the television signal, the audio portionbeing applied to the speaker 270 and the video portion being presentedon the television screen 208. Members of the remote audience 216 hearthe voice of the host 212 on the speaker 270, and view the progress ofthe game 218 and other activities of the studio 204 on the screen 208.The filters 272 and 274 separate, respectively, the response and scoresignals from the audio spectrum and apply the signals, respectively, tothe demodulator 266 and the demodulator 268. The oscillator 276 providesthe F₁ carrier to the demodulator 266 for demodulation of the responsesignal to recover the designated responses. Similarly, the oscillator278 provides the F₂ carrier to the demodulator 268 to enable thedemodulation of the score signal to recover the scoring mode criteria.The response signal is applied by the demodulator 266 to the responseunit 210 via line 346. The score signal is outputted by the demodulator268 to the response unit 210 via line 348.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the system 200 of FIG. 6 wherein thethird and fourth signals, respectively, for the designated response andscoring mode criteria are transmitted in the video portion of thetelevision signal rather than in the audio portion of the televisionsignal. In FIG. 7, the modified system 200A comprises a central station202A and a television system 220A which contains some of the componentspresented in the system 200 of FIG. 6, and has further components whichprovide for an interlacing of the third and the fourth signals with thetelevision video portion by insertion of the third and the fourthsignals within the time intervals allocated for the television verticalretrace. The system 200A is understood to include, when desired, thetelephone circuit 280, the game 218, and the specimen 214 which havebeen deleted in FIG. 7 to simplify the presentation of the system 200A.

In the central station 202A, the signals outputted by the keyboards 224and 226 are digitally coded by encoders 284 and 286, respectively, andapplied via an OR circuit 288 to a register 290. The station 202Afurther comprises a modulator 292 and a summer 294 which operate withthe combiner 238 and the transmitter 240. The television camera 228includes a well-known vidicon 296, oscillator 298 for production of acarrier frequency, and timing and synchronization circuitry 300.

In operation, the encoded response criteria and scoring mode signals ofthe keyboards 224 and 226 are stored in the register 290 from which theyare applied to an input terminal of the modulator 292. The modulator 292is activated by a pulse signal on line 302 provided by the timingcircuitry 300 during each vertical retrace interval in the generation ofthe television picture frame at the camera 228. The modulator 292receives the encoded keyboard signals and modulates these signals ontothe carrier provided by the oscillator 298, this carrier being the samecarrier employed for carrying the television video signal. Thereby, themodulated keyboard signals outputted by the modulator 292, and thetelevision video signal outputted by the camera 228 are on the samecarrier, and are summed together by the summer 294. The output signal ofthe summer 294 contains both the video and the keyboard signalsinterleaved with each other. The output signal of the summer 294 is thencombined with the signal of the microphone 230 by the combiner 238 andtransmitted via the transmitter 240 to a remote receiving station 206Ain the same fashion as was described for the system 200 of FIG. 6.

The broadcast transmission from the central station 202A is received bythe receiver 262 and applied to the demodulator 264 which separates theaudio and video portions of the broadcast transmission, the audioportion being applied to the speaker 270, and the video portion beingapplied to a television monitor 304 which includes the television screen208. The monitor 304 includes well-known synchronization and timingcircuitry 306 which is employed in converting the broadcast video to apicture presented on the screen 208, the timing circuitry 306 alsoproviding a gate pulse signal on line 308 which is to be used foridentifying the retrace interval so as to enable extraction of thedesignated response signal of the keyboard 224 and the scoring modesignal of the keyboard 226.

The television system 220A further comprises a clock 310, two gates 312and 314, a demodulator 316, a register 318, a switch 320, a flagdetector 322, and two registers 324 and 326.

In operation, the video signal outputted by the demodulator 264 isapplied also via the gate 312 to the demodulator 316 which operates inconjunction with a carrier reference signal provided by an oscillator328 to demodulate the signals of the keyboards 224 and 226. Theoperation of the demodulator 316 is opposite to the operation of themodulator 292 in the sense that, by way of example, if the modulator 292employs phase modulation, then the demodulator 316 demodulates phasemodulation.

The signal on line 308 activates the gate 312 to pass the modulatedkeyboard signals occurring during the retrace intervals, and to blockthe video signal appearing at all times other than during the retraceintervals. If desired, a similar gate (not shown) may be included withinthe monitor 304 for excluding the modulated keyboard signals from themonitor 304. Such signals appearing during the retrace intervals shouldnot interfere with the operation of the monitor 304 because of thesynchronization signals normally present in televised transmissions,which signals gate off the screen 208 during retrace intervals, as iswell known.

The signal on line 308 also activates the gate 314 to conduct clockpulses from the clock 310 to the register 318 during each retraceinterval. The clock pulses are employed to clock the digitally encodedkeyboard signals from the demodulator 316 into the register 318.Included within each of the digitized keyboard signals is a digital flagwhich identifies whether a signal is the designated response signal ofthe keyboard 224 or the scoring mode signal of the keyboard 226. Thekeyboard signals are communicated from the register 318 via a switch 320to the registers 324 and 326. The detector 322 detects the presence ofthe flag on digital signals outputted by the register 318, and operatesthe switch 320 to steer the designated response signals of the keyboard224 to the register 324, and the scoring mode signals of the keypad 226to the register 326. The registers 324 and 326 provide the keyboardsignals to the response unit 210 for operation of the response unit 210in a manner to be described.

With reference to FIG. 8, the response unit 210 receives the designatedresponse signals and the scoring mode signals, the signals being storedin memory for evaluating answers of the members of the remote audience216 (FIG. 6) in responding to tasks set forth in the studio 204. Inorder to facilitate explanation of the response unit 210, the memorywhich stores data of the designated response criteria and the scoringmode, is shown as three separate memories, namely, a program memory 330which stores instructions for operation of the response unit 210, aresponse-criteria memory 332 which stores a set of designated responsesto be used as a reference against which audience response is to bejudged, and a further scoring program memory 334 which stores values ofdifficulty level employed in the scoring of audience responses. A timingunit 336 is employed for interjecting a scoring factor based on theamount of time required or allowed to generate the response, and toapply zero credit in the situation wherein a member of the remoteaudience fails to respond within a predesignated time interval. Theresponse unit 210 includes four decoders 338, 340, 342, and 344 whichextract various portions of the digitized designated response criteriasignal and scoring mode signal for application to individual ones of thememories 330 and 332, the timing unit 336 and the memory 334. Thedecoders 338 and 340 connect lines 348 and 346, carrying thescoring-mode and response-criteria signals, respectively, to thememories 330 and 332. The decoders 342 and 344 connect from line 348,carrying the scoring mode signal, respectively to the timing unit 336and the memory 334.

Also included within the response unit 210 is a control logic unit 350,a clock 352 which provides clock pulse signals to the control logic unit350 and the timing unit 336 and an OR circuit 354 which couples thedecoder 342 to the timing unit 336. A keyboard 356 and, if desired, adisplay 358 coupled thereto interact with the control logic unit 350 forthe entry of responses, the display 358 showing a member of the remoteaudience what symbols have been typed on the keyboard 356 during thegeneration of a response.

The response unit 210 further comprises a dispenser 360 of cards 362and/or tape 364, or similar recording medium, which are imprinted withmarkings reflecting awards, if any, for responses entered by a member ofthe remote audience upon the keyboard 356. For example, the dispenser360 can accept a preprinted form which may be inserted by a respondentand removed from the dispenser 360 after imprinting. Also, the responseunit 210 comprises a buffer store 366, a register 368, a scoring logicunit 370, two comparators 372 and 374, two registers 376 and 378, twomultipliers 380 and 382, a summer 384, and an accumulator 386.

In operation, the program memory 330 and the control logic unit 350operate together in a manner similar to that of the program memory 108and the control logic unit 118 of FIG. 4. The program memory 330 storesinformation as to the number of possible responses, the number ofquestions, and also stores instructions for commanding the dispenser toprint out messages in accordance with scores based on responses toquestions and other tasks set forth in the studio 204. The memory 332stores possible answers to questions and tasks, such as colors ofobjects displayed in the studio 204, sizes of such objects, sentences orphrases describing events in history, music, art or literature, andsimilar information which may be transmitted via the response criteriasignal to the remote stations. The timing unit 336 includes counters andmemories as will be described with reference to FIG. 9 for outputtingappropriate factors or coefficients for use in scoring responses basedon time of response. The memory 334 stores designated time intervalswhich are to be inputted as preset signals to the counters of the timingunit 336, and also stores factors to be applied in the scoring orgrading of responses based on level of difficulty. Such level ofdifficulty information is transmitted from the central station via thescoring mode signal to the remote stations. After presentation of a taskin the studio 204, the host 212 indicates the beginning of a timeinterval for audience response by pressing a key on the keyboard 226,this resulting in the transmission of a start signal to the responseunit 210. The decoder 342 decodes the start signal and applies the startsignal via the OR circuit 354 to initiate timing in the timing unit 336,the start signal proceeding through the timing unit 336 to the controllogic unit 350 to initiate operation of the logic unit 350. Operation ofthe three memories 330, 332, and 334 is under control of the logic unit350.

In one type of question-response situation, the host 212 gives acontestant a choice of questions to which the contestant is to respond.For example, two or three groups of questions may be presented on thetelevision screen 208. The answers to all of the questions are loadedinto the memory 332. The contestant indicates a selection of a group ofquestions by means of the keyboard 356, a selection signal then beingoutputted by the keyboard 356 to the logic unit 350 to address thememory 332 to provide the desired set of answers for evaluating thecontestant's response.

While various forms of responses may be desired for specific situationswhich may be depicted in the studio 204, two situations of particularinterest are those wherein a response is to be evaluated based on aseries of words, as in a phrase, or by examination of key words presentin a phrase or sequence of sentences to be provided as a response. Theresponse unit 210 is provided with dual channel comparison to scoreresponses based on observation of key words or on observation of fulltext. One of these channels is composed of the comparator 372, theregister 376, and the multiplier 380. The other of these two channels iscomposed of the comparator 374, the register 378, and the multiplier382. Both of these comparator channels operate in the same fashion.

The first comparator channel is employed for evaluating responses basedon the presence of a key word. This is accomplished as follows. A memberof the remote audience presses a key-word button on the keyboard 356 toalert the control logic unit 350 that a key word is to be entered. Thekey word is typed on the keyboard 356 which then places the key word inthe buffer store 366 and, preferably, also presents the key word on thedisplay 358 to ensure that the key word is spelled correctly. The bufferstore 366, under control of the logic unit 350, presents the key word toone input terminal of the comparator 372. The memory 332 presents thedesignated key word to the other input terminal of the comparator 372.The comparator 372 compares the designated key word with the response,and outputs a logic-1 signal to the register 376 to indicate a favorablecomparison. If the key word of the response differs from the key word ofthe memory 332, then the comparator 372 outputs a logic-0 signal to theregister 376. The memory 334 outputs a predetermined number of points ofcredit to the register 376 for an at-least partially correct oracceptable response. The outputting of the logic-1 signal from thecomparator 372 strobes the register 376 to receive the credit from thememory 334. The number of points of credit are outputted by the register376 to the multiplier 380 to serve as a factor or coefficient incomputing the score for a correct answer. The timing unit 336 outputs afurther factor to the multiplier 380 based on the amount of timeconsumed to produce the response. The multiplier 380 multiplies togetherboth the acceptable-answer coefficient and the time-consumptioncoefficient to output a product to the summer 384, which product is thescore for the response. The amount of credit in the credit factoroutputted by the timing unit 336 is dependent on the amount of time; inthe event that a maximum time interval is exceeded, the timing credit iszero which results in a score of zero being outputted by the multiplier380.

By way of alternative embodiments, it is noted that the multipliers 380and 382 may be replaced with summers, in which case the score would bebased upon the sum of the acceptable-answer coefficient and thetime-consumption coefficient. The actual range of numerical values ofthe score will differ, depending on whether multiplication or additionof the acceptable-answer coefficient and the time-consumptioncoefficient is to be employed in the construction of the response unit210. Either embodiment of the response unit 210 produces a readilyunderstandable score; the embodiment to be employed is simply a matterof preference in the desired range of score values.

In the same fashion, the comparator 374 compares a full text, as in aseries of words composing a phrase, which text is compared by thecomparator 374 against the text entered at the keyboard 356 by way ofresponse. The corresponding scoring factors are applied by the memory334 and the timing unit 336, respectively, to the register 378 and themultiplier 382. The comparator 374 strobes the register 378 to apply ascoring factor to the multiplier 382 to output the score from themultiplier 382 to the summer 384. A sequence of scores outputted by thesummer 384 in response to a sequence of responses to a task or gamesituation presented in the studio 204 are accumulated by the accumulator386. The output of the accumulator 386 is the total score, which totalscore is inputted both to the dispenser 360 and to the scoring logicunit 370. The accumulator 386 is reset by the control logic unit 350 inaccordance with commands of the scoring mode signal; thus, the totalscore outputted by the accumulator 386 may be the result of response toquestions of a single task or of a sequence of tasks as may be commandedby the program host.

In the scoring logic unit 370, the total score is compared with a rangeof scores presented by the program memory 330. The scoring logic unit370 outputs a command signal to the dispenser unit 360 when therespondent's score meets the response criteria or is in a designatedrange, and the dispenser 360 prints the total score. Also, when thetotal score is within an acceptable range of score, the logic unit 370directs the dispenser 360 to print a monetary award, or otherdesignation of award on either the card 362 or the tape 364, and mayactivate a bell to signal success. Sounding of the bell may also be usedto direct a respondent to begin the next task. Dispenser 360 may bedesigned for either one or both types of printouts. The award and otherinformation, such as time limits for redemption, instructions to themerchant and a coded validation signal, are applied by the memory 330 tothe register 368 for inclusion in the printout of the dispenser 360. Byway of example, the validation signal may be encoded with the time ofday and date of the television program and be combined with a numberidentifying the remote station. The identity of the remote station issupplied by an encoder 388 (which may be a thumbwheel digital encoder)to the register 368 for inclusion within the printout of the dispenser360. The buffer store 366 also connects to the register 368 to permitimprinting of the actual response in a printout of the dispenser 360.Printers 390 and 392 within the dispenser 360 can provide for imprintingin the form of alphanumeric and symbolic indicia, or by means of barcode. By way of example, the printers 390 and 392 may be constructed asdot-matrix printers. If desired, the printer 390 may be constructed tooutput the printed message on a magnetic strip (not shown) of the card362.

The keyboard 356 is provided with a "text" key as well as a "word" keyto enable a respondent to answer in the text mode or in the key-wordmode. By the inclusion of alphanumeric keys, as in a standard typewriterkeyboard, a person may respond by entering key words or phrases. Arespondent may answer a question in significantly less time than isallocated for the question, in which case the respondent may wish toindicate task completion before the full allotted time has elapsed, orbefore the host 212 (FIG. 6) tells the audience to proceed to the nextquestion. In this case, the respondent pushes the "next answer" key orbutton on the keyboard 356 resulting in the transmission of a strobesignal along line 394 to an input terminal of the OR circuit 354 torestart the timing unit 336 for the next question and answer. Also, inthe event that there is a choice of questions and responses, each at adifferent level of difficulty, the respondent employs the "difficultylevel" button on the keyboard 356 to signify, via the control logic unit350, to the program memory 334 that an answer of a designated difficultyis being attempted. Thereby, the memory 334 in conjunction with thetiming unit 336 can provide proper scoring factors for variousconditions of response such as accuracy and a shortening of the timeinterval set by the host. Generally, in determining the value of awardto a successful contestant, some or all of the following factors aretaken into consideration, namely, the quality of response as evidencedby accuracy, responsiveness, comprehension and comprehensiveness, aswell as speed of response and difficulty level.

Normally, the difficulty level announced by the host will be "difficultylevel one", with which a certain award is associated. Correspondinglygreater awards may be announced for correct answers at higher difficultylevels. The choice of selecting such higher difficulty level rests withthe contestants and may, where a choice of subject matters is offered,be made after the host has announced the general subject matter or thenature of the next question.

FIG. 9 shows details of the timing unit 336 of FIG. 8, the timing unit336 comprising two counters 396 and 398, and two memories 400 and 402wherein each of the memories 400 and 402 is preferably a read-onlymemory (ROM). The counters 396 and 398 are preset, as noted above, bysignals from the program memory 334 of FIG. 8. The counters 396 and 398count clock pulses supplied by the clock 352. Each of the counters 396and 398 counts down from its preset value to zero. The counters 396 and398 address, respectively, the memories 400 and 402. Output counts ofeach of the counters 396 and 398 also serve as address signals foroperating the program memory 330. Counting by the counters 396 and 398is initiated upon application of the start signal from the OR circuit354, the start signal being outputted to the control logic unit 350.Each of the memories 400 and 402 is loaded with appropriate values ofcredit to be applied to responses, respectively, for key words ornumbers and full text. For example, a question answered by a key word inten seconds might receive a time credit factor of ten points, while a20-second response time might receive only three points, and anyresponse beyond a half minute might receive a zero points resulting in azero score. It is noted that a count by either of the counters 396 or398 from its preset value down to zero automatically terminates anallocated predetermined time interval and results in an outputting ofzero score.

With respect to the system and methodology of the invention,communication with the home audience by the normal television channelsof electronic transmission includes signals broadcast on televisionfrequencies via cable including fiber optics or satellite. A typicalexample in the propagation of such electronic signals would be thattransmission to a communication satellite which, in turn, transmits thesignals to ground receiving sites adapted to send the signals eitherfrom broadcast stations over the air or via cable to cable subscribers.These signals include the first two signals of Group One mentionedhereinabove, namely the program and the task signals, received by thetelevision receivers at each of the remote locations at which atelevision viewer is located. Encouragement of as many viewers aspossible to participate is accomplished by allowing the televisionviewers to become contestants who participate in a quiz program or otheraudience-participation program on the spur of the moment and in themiddle of a program wherein the participants win prizes.

According to the method of the invention, the number of prizes awardedand their values are set by the sponsor of the program, and normally areset so as to optimize the financial return to the sponsor orbroadcaster. Normally, in a quiz program, a plurality of tasks will bepresented. Each task is formulated in such form that the task settingmessage may be electronically transmitted from the central location asthe second signals or second set of signals of the aforementioned GroupOne to be received by the viewers at the remote locations. It is notedthat all of the signals comprising Group One may be transmitted at thesame time, such as by being part of the same pictorial presentation. Asimple illustration of such presentation would involve a celebrityappearing before a television camera, holding a sign reading "Who amI?".

Typically, these tasks comprise questions to be answered by viewers whowish to become contestants. The tasks may differ with respect to fieldsof knowledge, memory skills and reaction speed, literacy, comprehension,expression and experience required, and other aspects. The time allowedviewers to respond to a task may vary. The task may take any form ofquestions including single-answer questions and multiple-part questions.The questions may also call for one or more multiple choice answers.There may be a requirement that, with respect to a specific task, aminimum number of responses must be provided by participants. Thequestions may also be open-ended in the sense that viewers can notcompletely answer a question within an allotted time, a practice commonin aptitude tests. A task could, for instance, involve a listing of alarge number of names or other data in response to a question to whichthe answers are more numerous than can be answered within the prescribedtime. Normally, the host announces the period of time allowed forentering answers at the time a question is posed. At substantially thesame time, the host or other person aiding in the program, may alsoannounce or hint at the general subject area of the next question, thepurpose of such announcement being to enable a contestant to elect ahigher difficulty level to apply to a favored subject area. Thus, theresponse criteria may consist of a simple requirement to be met by arespondent, or may comprise a plurality of independently variableelements.

Questions may also be asked by a host in conjunction with televisionadvertisements or "commercials". In such an event, a host or off-cameraannouncer may first direct the attention of the audience to the factthat the next question will deal with an aspect or feature of theproduct or service about to be displayed or offered. Awards may also beannounced. This type of incentive will significantly increase viewers'attention and recall.

Questions may also be visually posed to the television viewers bydisplaying the questions on electronic boards or on other display means.Alternatively, the host may silently point to an advertised item ofmerchandise to insure that participants are paying attention to thetelevision commercial, in which event a question may relate to suchmerchandise. The awarding of prizes to viewers who correctly answerquestions relating to goods or services shown in a preceding commercialis believed to greatly enhance consumer recall.

It is noted that a question asked with reference to an offered item maycall for no more than a simple mention of the specimen displayed, or ofspecific features thereof, so that in effect, the viewers are simplyverifying that they are tuned in to the desired program. There is littleor no difficulty in responding to such question posed to the viewers.

The range of difficulty levels needs no specific limitation. As anillustration, one may consider the task of listing within a period of 20seconds as many countries as possible that are members of the UnitedNations.

The award or prize won by a successful contestant is computed inaccordance with the response criteria and the scoring basis or modewhich may be formulated by the host or program conductor. As notedabove, the response criteria and the scoring mode or basis aretransmitted from a central station to remote locations through theresponse-criteria and scoring-mode signals of the aforementioned GroupTwo. Specific and different response criteria may be set for eachquestion, and may include a different time period allowed for suchresponse. The instructional group of signals, Group Two, conveys thedata constituting an acceptable answer or range of answers, as well asthe value of the award to be given a successful contestant based on theapplicable difficulty level, the accuracy and completeness of the answerto be provided. The elements of the response criteria may be varied fromquestion to question.

The instructional group of signals, Group Two, may also contain, as asubset, additional command signals such as the above-noted validationsignal to permit certification and verification of an award claimed by acontestant or member of the remote audience. Such data typicallyconsists of alphanumeric information appearing on the contestant'sprintout to facilitate verification.

The instructional group of signals may also contain, as another subset,further additional command signals addressed to the scoring circuitry,which additional signals convey data governing the issue of the printoutand its terms, including place of redemption and time limitations.

As an example of various forms of programming which may be employed,questions are displayed on an electronic board seen by the televisionviewers. Alternatively, a question appears on a display board in thetelevision studio and a plurality of numbered answers appear on aseparate display so that a television contestant only needs to enter thenumber of the selected answer believed to correspond to an acceptableanswer and to the response criteria. The latter type of visualpresentation is particularly suitable for game shows involving multiplechoice answers. Particularly successful, or otherwise selectedparticipants, may engage in a personal dialogue with the host. Aprintout from the dispenser 360 may also serve as a voucher to beexchanged for a ticket at a theater or sporting event.

It is noted that members of the studio audience may also participate inthe quiz program. In such event, one display may contain questions forthe home viewing audiences, while the studio contestants may be asked adifferent set of questions. In such a situation, effectively, twoseparate quiz programs are being conducted substantially concurrently.

In the conduction of such television program, provisions may also bemade to announce and/or display to the television audience informationregarding awards that are to be won at different difficulty levels. Thisinformation may be provided before, during, or after the correspondingquestion has been asked, although it normally is made known to viewersat approximately the time that the question is asked. As anillustration, a split television screen technique may be employedwherein part of the screen displays information and/or pictures relatingto the question being asked, and another part of the screen displays atable having tabulated information showing a relationship betweendifficulty levels, and available prizes or discounts from the base pricetowards the purchase of certain merchandise. If desired, a portion ofthe split-screen presentation may be hidden from the studio audience.The host announces the number of difficulty levels and the generalsubject area relative to each question. The host may also announce thebase or minimum difficulty level applicable to a specific question sothat each contestant has sufficient time to elect to respond under theconditions of the difficulty level set by the host or under conditionsof a higher difficulty level. In accordance with the foregoing electedsituations, requisite command signals of the instructional signal group,Group Two, are transmitted for directing the dispenser to print out suchtabulated award data. Successful participants may be informed of thefact that they have won an award via the audio or video portion of thetelevision signal, or by directing the dispenser to print out a messagedescribing the award. The record or other signal by which a contestantis informed of the outcome of his or her response may be simply "award"or "no award" announcement, or a similar simple notification.

As a further feature in the construction of the invention, thescoring-mode signal generated at the keyboard 226 (FIG. 6) for use inthe program memory 330 and scoring logic unit 370 (FIG. 8) may include adelay signal interposed by the host which delays operation of the bellas well as a printing out of notification of award by the dispenser 360until after a determined time interval This encourages contestants andviewers to continue watching the television program until the program,or a portion thereof, has been completed.

It is also noted that the card 362 with data encrypted by use of barcode or magnetic recording can be machine readable. This permits use ofthe card in an automatic dispenser of merchandise at a store whereinsuch merchandise is dispensed. The dispensing machinery would include awell known card reader and verification circuitry which may operate witha personal identification number known only to the contestant to insurethat the merchandise is dispensed to the correct person. It is alsonoted that the pertinent information can be given over the telephone toallow for purchases by mail.

Another, interaction between members of the remote audience and the hostis accomplished by means of the optional two-way communication affordedby use of the telephone circuit 280 (FIG. 6) in combination with thesignal channels of the television transmission. For example, the host212 may be a professor conducting a home-study course. The host presentsa set of examination questions to home students via the televisionscreen, and transmits various possible responses and scoring criteriavia lines 346 and 348 (FIG. 8) to the response unit 280. Students maycall in via the telephone circuit 280 to inform the host that thequestions relate to material not yet fully covered in the course. Thehost then operates the keyboard 224 (FIG. 6) to reformat or modify thepossible responses, transmitted via line 346, so that the students cangive an acceptable response based on the material already covered in thecourse. In addition, the host operates the keyboard 226 to reformat themode of scoring to provide a different distribution of score points forvarious key words and phrases. Further alteration in the mode of scoringcan be accomplished, by the host, by operation of the keyboard 226 toalter the amount of time allocated to each question. The difficultylevels stored in the memory 334 may also be altered or reformatted bythe host so as to provide a curving of the score distribution to giveextra credit to those students who studied course materials in advanceof the present curriculum.

The foregoing example in the teaching of a home-study course shows anaspect in the methodology of the invention in which a succession ofinstructional signals relating to designating acceptable responses andscoring criteria to be applied to responses may be transmitted from thecentral station 202 to remote receiving stations 206. In a general case,such a succession of instructional signals would be interleaved withcommunications from persons at the remote stations 206 to the centralstation 202 to enable the response criteria to be modified to fit theneeds of the remote audience. This provides further interaction betweenthe host and the remote audience.

As a further example in the modification of scoring criteria, the studioaudience and the remote audience may be engaged in a program for thedevelopment of foreign language skills. The host, in this case alanguage instructor, may submit a set of questions requiring responsesin the form of phrases for describing situations depicted in a studiogame. If members of the studio audience experience difficulty inanswering the questions, then the host would use the keyboards 224 and226 to modify the scoring criteria, before complaints from the remoteaudience arrive via the telephone circuit 280. In this example, asuccession of instructional signals may be transmitted without directinteraction with the remote audience, and with modification of responsecriteria and/or scoring mode being based on response of the studio orexternal audience. In this way, the format of acceptable responses canbe updated at the response units 210 in the remote stations 206 inanticipation of remote audience needs. The response unit 210 stores themodified scoring criteria in the memories 330, 332 and 334, the contentsof these memories being updated with each transmission of aninstructional signal. The operation of the response unit 210 in scoringanswers entered by a contestant to a language development game, or otherform of game, is based on the most recently transmitted instructionalsignal.

The foregoing examples in the use of the invention show that the systemand methodology of the invention are adaptable to the needs of membersof the remote audience. Adaptation can take place by interaction withmembers of the remote audience, as well as by anticipation of the needsof the remote audience based on observation of responses of the studioaudience.

This enhances the quality of audience participation, ensures bettersuccess in accomplishing the purposes of the television games, andelicits greater satisfaction on the part of both studio and remoteaudiences.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 6, it is noted by way of alternativeembodiments of the invention that the use of both audio and visualchannels, and the use of both television and radio transmissions permitsvarious transmission arrangements to be employed. For example, insteadof employing one central television transmitter and one central radiotransmitter, as shown in FIG. 1, a network of such transmitters can beemployed for transmitting the program from the studio 14 throughout theUnited States. In the case of the transmission of the instructionalsignal by radio, in a network transmission, individual radio stationsmight alter the instructional signals for different scoring criteria andrewards in different geographic areas while all geographic areas wouldreceive the same television program and task-setting messages. By way offurther variation of transmission arrangements, the voice signal of theannouncer at the studio can be stopped, and replaced by voice signals atthe radio transmitters of the various geographic areas to allowdifferent task-setting messages to be generated audially at thedifferent geographic areas along with the different instructionalsignals at the various geographic areas. These variations oftransmission arrangements provide a flexibility to the implementation ofthe invention so as to adapt the task-setting and scoring to needs oflocal areas.

It is also noted that the invention can be employed even in thesituation wherein television may not be available to some members of theremote audience. With reference to the receiving station 16 of FIG. 1,in the absence of any television transmission (possibly due tomountains) or in the absence of television sets, the host 50 (FIG. 3)would describe audially and fully the program situation by use of themicrophone 56, and would also present the tasks audially by themicrophone 56. Thereby, both the audio description and the instructionalsignals would be transmitted by radio channel.

Also, the microphone 56 may be shut off in which case all task-settingmessages would be indicated visually, as by signs and posters, on thetelevision screens of the receiving stations. In this case, the audiochannel would be used only for the instructional signals while theprogram would be conducted silently on the television screens.

Furthermore, the program can be conducted silently, as above, withoccasional audio commentary and/or background music, a television formatcommonly employed by cable television news services. In this case theprogram and task-setting messages would be transmitted by televisionwith visual presentation of the tasks by signs or posters with themicrophone 56 being used only for the occasional comment and playing ofbackground music.

The foregoing situation can be modified further by the substitution ofthe normal television program format by presentation of a televisionscreen showing only lines of alphanumeric characters, similar to that ofa printed portion of a magazine or newspaper. Such a format is usedfrequently in cable television news by broadcasts employing a channelknown as an automated channel. With reference to FIG. 6, the automatedchannel can be implemented, by way of example, by use of a displaysystem including a character generator (not shown) for generating thetext, and a screen (not shown) for presenting the text in front of thecamera 228 to be televised. Or the television signals may be generatedby a suitably programmed computer (not shown). With respect to theimplementation of the invention for broadcast of a quiz program by useof an automated channel, the following observations are noted.

Normally, automated channels are used in cable television to provideinformation in visual alphanumeric or graphic form, utilizing acharacter generator, and transmitting news updates, financial news,programs guides, weather information and the like. If computer typestorage is provided at receiving stations, text displayed in this manneron screens at receiving stations may be scrolled in a desired direction.A voice or music audio portion accompanies the visual information.

The automated channel type of television broadcast lends itself well tothe presentation of questions and falls within the scope of the presentinvention. A Home Quiz program of the type described may consistentirely of questions, or the questions may be interspersed with thetypes of information listed above. As an example, a question isdisplayed on the screens at remote locations for the period of timeallowed for answering the question, after which the data enteringdevices do not accept contestants' responses. The correct answers of aseries of acceptable answers then appear on the screens for an intervalof time enabling contestants to ascertain whether they have won an awardas evidenced by a printout emitted by the dispenser. Alternatively,correct answers may be provided orally by a program conductor. Suchbroadcast requires only very limited studio facilities and is economicalto produce. The electronic equipment at remote locations can be verysimple, providing only for yes-or-no answers, or can be as complex as isdesired.

The type of question and answer broadcast on automated channels lendsitself particularly well to education and research. In the field ofeducation, after a time interval allowed for answering a question hasexpired, a correct answer may be provided orally or visually by theprogram host, and may be accompanied by extensive explanations andnarratives. This method still enables students to mail or deliverexamination papers dispensed to them by the electronic printer in theabove-described dispenser to an educational institution conducting thetest. Such examination forms have printed thereon each student's scoredanswers.

The use of automated channels permits the implementation of the methodsdescribed in a highly economical manner, particularly in the area ofeducation of children. Incentives can be provided to children to take aninterest in subjects to be taught by rewarding successful answers toquestions which dispenses tokens, such as coupons, carrying an award ofinterest to children of the age group addressed. The increasingfamiliarity of children with computer keyboards makes the use of dataentering devices a-- simple task. In the field of use of research,free-standing questions on automated channels may be interspersed withquestions pertaining to research conducted. Some questions on automatedchannels are phrased so that the answers will provide statistically orotherwise meaningful responses, while other questions contain achallenge inherent in answering such a question. For example, a questionmay require personal judgment, special knowledge, or characterization.

As a further example, a demographic researcher may intersperse betweenquestions regarding respondent's income and expenditures the question"What is the average annual per capita income in your county?". Asuccessful respondent wins an award in order to encourage widerparticipation in such a survey. In market research, the ability to leavea printed text on a cable television screen for a period of time, and toaccompany a question with an oral explanation will not only makerespondent's answers to such questions easier and therefore morereliable, but will make the conducting of surveys or automated channelsa very economical method of reaching unprecedented numbers ofrespondents.

By way of further embodiment to the invention, it is noted that the tape364 (FIGS. 6 and 8) outputted by the dispenser 360 of the response unit310 may be imprinted with a bar code, as portrayed in FIG. 6. The barcode may be read by a scanner 404. The reading of the scanner 404 may betransmitted to a receiver 406 at the central station 202 via modems 408and 410 connected to the telephone circuit 280.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiments of theinvention are illustrative only, and that modifications thereof mayoccur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not tobe regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is to belimited only as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for remotely evaluating and creating arecord of responses to a plurality of task-setting messageselectronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations, the methodcomprising:transmitting a first set of electronic signals conveying afirst task-setting message of said plurality of messages from a centralstation to receivers at remote locations; receiving said first set ofsignals at said remote locations; entering responses to said firsttask-setting message at said remote locations; generating, at saidcentral station, a first response criteria independently of saidtransmitting of said first set of electronic signals; transmitting froma central station a second set of electronic signals conveying saidfirst response criteria relative to said first task-setting message tosaid remote locations; receiving said second set of signals at saidremote locations; comparing said responses with said first responsecriteria, said first response criteria comprising suitable wordsincluding alphanumerics and other indicia, and said responses comprisingwords including alphanumerics and other indicia; and identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said first response criteria;and wherein said step of comparing provides for a comparing of at leastone key word or element in a response with said first response criteria;said first response criteria includes a scoring basis, said methodfurther comprising steps of: scoring accepted responses meeting saidscoring basis of said first response criteria; modifying, at saidcentral station said first response criteria to provide a secondresponse criteria independently of said transmitting of said first setof electronic signals; transmitting additional ones of said first set ofelectronic signals for conveying additional task-setting messages ofsaid plurality of messages; and transmitting to said remote locationsadditional ones of said second set of electronic signals to convey saidsecond response criteria governing responses to said additionaltask-setting messages.
 2. A method according to claim 1 furthercomprising a step of creating a record of scored responses; andwhereinsaid first response criteria includes a timing of said responsesfor a predetermined time interval; said step of entering responses isperformed by means of a data entry device at a remote location; saidstep of modifying includes altering said timing and changing saidscoring basis; said method further comprising steps of presenting saidfirst task-setting message to a studio audience after expiration of saidtime interval for response; and communicating activity of said studioaudience to said remote locations.
 3. A method according to claim 1further comprising a step of creating a record of said responses andwhereinsaid first response criteria includes a timing of said responsesfor a predetermined time interval; said step of entering responses isperformed by means of a keyboard; said step of modifying includesaltering said timing and changing said scoring basis; and a response caninclude a narrative text entered on said keyboard, said step of creatingof a record including creating a record of narrative text in hard-copyformat.
 4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said generatingincludes a step of formatting said first response criteria by setting aplurality of difficulty levels as part of the response criteria of aquestion.
 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein,said first responsecriteria includes a timing of said responses for a predetermined timeinterval; and in said formatting step, a difficulty level is at least inpart determined by the time allowed for answering a question by anentering of a response.
 6. A method according to claim 1 wherein, insaid step of transmitting said first set of electronic signals,questions are visually posed through a video portion of a televisionprogram.
 7. A system for broadcasting a task-setting program signal froma central site to a plurality of receiving stations at remote sites, andfor responding to said task-setting program signal at said receivingstations, said system comprising:means at said central site fortransmitting said task-setting program signal; means at each of saidreceiving stations for presenting a program transmitted by said programsignal to an audience, said program being a television program; means atsaid central site for transmitting an instructional signal incorporatingpredetermined response criteria including a timing of a response; meansat said central site for encoding said instructional signal, saidencoding means being suitable for operation by a host of said televisionprogram, said instructional-signal transmitting means including meansfor modulating encoded instructional signals upon a voice channel ofsaid television program; means at each of said receiving stationsresponsive to said instructional signal for storing said predeterminedresponse criteria; means at each of said receiving stations for enteringresponses by said audience to a task presented in said program; means ateach of said receiving stations for comparing individual ones of saidaudience responses to said predetermined response criteria; meanscoupled to said comparing means for scoring said audience responses; anddemodulation means at said receiving station coupled to saidpredetermined response-criteria storing means for extracting saidinstructional signal from said voice channel of said transmitted programsignal; and wherein said entering means includes buffer storing meansfor storing said audience responses, said buffer storing meansoutputting the audience response to said comparison means; said scoringmeans includes means for selectively altering a mode of scoringindividual ones of said audience responses in response to saidinstructional signal; and wherein said instructional signal can bealtered to change criteria of said scoring mode independently of atransmission of the program signal.
 8. A system according to claim 7,further comprising:means at each of said receiving stations responsiveto said instructional signal for activating and deactivating saidscoring means; and means for outputting a hard copy of said responses,said hard copy including a scoring result of said responses uponactivation of said scoring means, and excluding a scoring result of saidresponses upon a deactivating of said scoring means.
 9. A system forbroadcasting a task-setting program signal from a central site to aplurality of receiving stations at remote sites, and for responding tosaid task-setting program signal at said receiving stations, said systemcomprising:means at said central site for transmitting said task-settingprogram signal; means at each of said receiving stations for presentinga program transmitted by said program signal to an audience; means atsaid central site for transmitting an instructional signal incorporatingpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations responsive to said instructional signal for storing saidpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations for entering a response by said audience to a task presented insaid program; means at each of said receiving stations for comparingsaid audience response with said predetermined response criteria; meanscoupled to said comparing means for scoring said audience response; andrecording means coupled to said scoring means for generating a record ofresponses meeting said predetermined response criteria; and wherein saidrecording means outputs a recording medium storing said record forsubsequent reading; said scoring means includes means for timing theresponse of said audience; said scoring means includes means responsiveto said instructional signals for selectively altering a mode a scoringindividual ones of said audience responses in response to saidinstructional signal; and wherein said instructional signal can bealtered to change criteria of said scoring means independently of atransmission of the program signal.
 10. A system for broadcasting atask-setting program signal from a central site to a plurality ofreceiving stations at remote sites, and for responding to said programsignal at said receiving stations, said system comprising:means at saidcentral site for transmitting said task-setting program signal; means ateach of said receiving stations for presenting a program transmitted bysaid program signal to an audience; means at said central site fortransmitting an instructional signal incorporating predeterminedresponse criteria; means at each of said receiving stations responsiveto said instructional signal for storing said predetermined responsecriteria; means at each of said receiving stations for entering aresponse by said audience to a situation presented in said program;means at each of said receiving stations for comparing said audienceresponse to said predetermined response criteria; means coupled to saidcomparing means for scoring said audience response; and means at saidcentral site for encoding said instructional signal, and wherein saidinstructional-signal transmitting means includes means for modulatingencoded instructional signals upon a voice signal to be transmitted bysaid instructional signal transmitting means; said system furthercomprising demodulation means at each of said receiving stations coupledto said response-criteria storing means for extracting saidinstructional signal from said voice signal of said transmitted programssignal; and means at each of said receiving stations coupled to saidscoring means for generating a record on a recording medium, a result ofsaid scoring appearing on said recording medium upon activation of saidscoring means; and wherein said record generating means provides saidrecord with at least one distinguishing indicium selected from a groupconsisting of discrete dashes, connected, dashes, dots, regular shapes,irregular shapes, codes, numbers, letters and symbols, so as to preventtampering, forging, and counterfeiting; said entering means includesbuffer storing means for storing said audience response, said bufferstoring means outputting individual responses of the audience to saidcomparison means; said scoring means includes means responsive to saidinstructional signal for timing individual responses of said audience;said scoring means includes means for selectively altering criteriaemployed in a mode of scoring in response to said instructional signal;and wherein said means for transmitting said instructional signalincludes means for altering said instructional signal, independently ofa transmission of a program signal, to activate said scoring means toalter said timing.
 11. A system for broadcasting a task-setting programsignal from a central site to a plurality of receiving stations atremote sites, and for responding to said program signal at saidreceiving stations, said system comprising:means at said central sitefor transmitting said task-setting program signal; means at each of saidreceiving stations for presenting a program transmitted by said programsignal to an audience; means at said central site for transmitting aninstructional signal incorporating predetermined response criteria;means at each of said receiving stations responsive to saidinstructional signal for storing said predetermined response criteria;means at each of said receiving stations for entering a response by saidaudience to a situation presented in said program; means at each of saidreceiving stations for comparing said audience response with saidpredetermined response criteria; means coupled to said comparing meansfor scoring individual responses of said audience; and wherein saidscoring means includes means responsive to said instructional signal fortiming individual responses of said audience, said timing means havingmeans for setting a time interval allowed for entering said responses;said entering means includes buffer storing means for storing saidaudience response, said buffer storing means outputting the audienceresponse to said comparison means; said scoring means is capable ofaltering a mode of scoring in response to said instructional signal; andsaid system further comprises: recording means coupled to said scoringmeans for outputting a record of scored responses of said audience, saidrecord having easily recognizable indicia and being in the form of hardcopy; means at each of said receiving stations responsive to saidinstructional signal for activating and deactivating said scoring means;and wherein said hard copy includes results of a scoring of saidresponses upon activation of said scoring means, and excludes a scoringof said responses upon a deactivating of said scoring means; a responseproduced on said hard copy is in alphanumeric form; and said means fortransmitting said instructional signal includes means for altering saidinstructional signal; independently of a transmission of a programsignal, to activate said scoring means to alter said timing.
 12. Asystem for broadcasting a task-setting program signal from a centralsite to a plurality of receiving stations at remote sites, and forresponding to said program signal at said receiving stations, saidsystem comprising:means at said central site for transmitting saidtask-setting program signal; means at each of said receiving stationsfor presenting a program transmitted by said program signal to anaudience; means at each of said receiving stations for entering aresponse by said audience to a situation presented in said program;means at each of said receiving stations coupled to said entering meansfor generating a hard copy of said response; means at said central sitefor transmitting an instructional signal delineating acceptableresponses and a mode of scoring such responses; means at each of saidreceiving stations responsive to said instructional signal for storingan acceptable response to said program signals; means coupled to saidentering means and to said storing means for scoring said response, aresult of said scoring means appearing on said hard copy upon activationof said scoring means; and means responsive to said instructional signalfor activating said scoring means; and wherein said means fortransmitting said instructional signal includes means for altering saidinstructional signal, independently of a transmission of the programsignal, to activate said scoring means to alter a mode of scoring bysaid scoring means.
 13. A system for broadcasting a task-setting programsignal from a central site to a remote audience at a plurality ofreceiving stations and for responding to said program signal at saidreceiving stations, said system comprising:means at said central sitefor transmitting said task-setting program signal; means at each of saidreceiving stations for presenting a program transmitted by said programsignal to said remote audience; means at said central site fortransmitting an instructional signal incorporating formatted responsecriteria, said response criteria including a mode of scoring responsesand a period of time allowed respondents for entering responses;formatting means at said central site suitable for operation by aconductor of said broadcast program for formatting said responsecriteria prior to transmission of said response criteria by saidtransmitting means, said formatting means being suitable for operationby a conductor of said broadcast program for reformatting said responsecriteria by altering said instructional signal independently of atransmission of the program signal, reformatted response criteriaincluding selective alteration of response criteria consisting of themode of scoring responses or the period of time allowed respondents forentering responses; means at said central site suitable for operation bya conductor of said broadcast program for encoding said instructionalsignal; means included in said instructional-signal transmitting meansfor modulating said encoded instructional signal upon a voice channel ofa program broadcast from said central site; means at each of saidreceiving stations responsive to said instructional signal for storingformatted and reformatted response criteria; means at each of saidreceiving stations for entering responses by members of said remoteaudience to a task presented in said program, said entering meansincluding buffer storing means at each remote location for storing saidremote audience response; demodulation means at each of said receivingstations coupled to said response entering means for extracting saidinstructional signal from said voice channel of said transmitted programsignal; means at said receiving stations for comparing each of saidremote audience responses with said formatted or reformatted responsecriteria; means included in said buffer storing means for outputtingsaid remote audience response to said comparing means; means at saidreceiving stations, and coupled to said comparing means, for scoringsaid remote audience responses, and means for timing such responses,said scoring means operating on the basis of a period of time allowedfor entering a response by members of said remote audience in accordancewith formatted or reformatted response criteria and; means for recordingsaid scored responses.
 14. A method for remotely evaluating and creatinga record of responses to task-setting messages electronicallytransmitted to receivers at remote locations, which methodcomprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messages forsequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step, whereinsaid creating includes providing said record with at least onedistinguishing indicium selected from a group consisting of discretedashes, connected, dashes, dots, regular shapes, irregular shapes,codes, numbers, letters and symbols, so as to prevent tampering,forging, and counterfeiting; modifying by at least partiallyreformatting said response criteria independently of said transmittingof said task-setting signals to fit a subsequent task; transmitting theresponse-criteria signals with modified response criteria independentlyof a transmission of said task-setting signals; and repeating theforegoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying a response criteriaincludes a reformatting of individual ones of said first-mentionedresponse criteria independently of said transmitting of saidtask-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones of saidtask-setting messages.
 15. A method according to claim 14 furthercomprising a step of providing a split-screen television presentationfor communicating between said central station and said remote audience.16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of enteringresponses is performed by means of a keyboard and a response can includea narrative text; and wherein said narrative text is scored in said stepof scoring by scoring means and outputted in said record-creating stepby copy-generating means in the form of hard copy.
 17. A methodaccording to claim 14, wherein the step of modification of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria includes altering said scoring basisand the time allowed for entering responses.
 18. A method according toClaim 14, wherein signals transmitted constitute separate quiz programsconducted concurrently, said method further comprising the steps ofpresenting questions to studio contestants, and separately presentingquestions to home contestants.
 19. A method according to Claim 14,intended to permit individuals at remote locations to participate intask-setting programs of the type requiring an answer to a questionpresented by a program conductor, further comprising a step of allowingsaid individuals to select the difficulty level of an acceptableresponse after knowing the general subject matter of a question, butbefore knowing the answer to the question.
 20. A method according toClaim 14, intended to permit individuals at remote locations toparticipate in task-setting programs of the type requiring answers toquestions presented by a program conductor, wherein said scoring stepincludes a step of scoring partially correct answers by storing in adata storage memory a plurality of cross-referenced key symbols, keywords or key phrases, and wherein said comparing step includes comparingsaid symbols, words or phrases with the entered responses and evaluatingthe comparison results under command of a program memory.
 21. A methodaccording to Claim 14, intended to permit individuals at remotelocations to participate in task-setting programs of the type requiringa response to a task presented by a program conductor, wherein saidrecord-creating step includes a step of providing a recording medium inthe form of an examination blank or form and recording a scored responsethereon.
 22. A method according to Claim 14, intended to permitindividuals at remote locations to participate in task-setting programsof the type requiring answers to questions presented by a programconductor, wherein said scoring step includes a step of gradingexamination papers containing said responses by identifying in saidexamination papers a plurality of specified key symbols, key words orkey phrases included in said response criteria.
 23. A method forremotely evaluating and creating a record of responses to task-settingmessages electronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations,which method comprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messagesfor sequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and wherein the method is intended to permitindividuals at remote locations to participate in task-setting programsof the type requiring answers to questions presented by a programconductor, wherein said record-creating step includes a step ofdispensing a hard-copy record of the processed response, said hard copycomprising a redeemable coupon and having imprinted thereon advertisingmaterial or shopping hints.
 24. A method according to claim 14, whereinsaid response record comprises material which has been treated by atleast one treatment selected from a group of process steps consisting ofmagnetizing, coloring, coating, embossing and texturing.
 25. A methodaccording to claim 14, wherein said response record having at least oneof said distinguishing indicia is further distinguished by use of aprocess step providing at least one additional distinguishing indiciumselected from the group consisting of color, intensity, width, spacing,positioning, font and resolution, so as to prevent tampering, forging,and counterfeiting.
 26. A method according to claim 25 wherein said atleast one indicium has been applied by a process step selected from thegroup consisting of printing, ink spraying, heating, magnetic pulses,light sources and laser beams.
 27. A method according to claim 14,wherein said at least one indicium have been applied by a process stepselected from the group consisting of printing, ink spraying, heating,magnetic pulses, light sources and laser beams.
 28. A method forremotely evaluating and creating a record of responses to task-settingmessages electronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations,which method comprises;formulating a plurality of task-setting messagesfor sequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;and repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and wherein tampering, forging, andcounterfeiting of the record is prevented by including in saidrecord-creating step a further step of providing a recording medium oftamper resistant composition.
 29. A method according to claim 14, inwhich tampering, forging, and counterfeiting of the record is preventedby including in said record-creating step a further step of providing arecording medium containing admixtures of identifiable substances.
 30. Amethod according to claim 14, wherein said record is in the form of aquestionnaire, said method further comprising the steps ofstoringdifferent questionnaires for alternative uses in a dispenser; storingprograms in a memory; and selecting a program determining a specificquestionnaire to be used and the form and extent of processing responsesentered by respondents.
 31. A method according to claim 14 furthercomprising a step of:providing in a program memory a plurality ofscoring programs adapted to output to a counter incremental commands inaccordance with a desired magnitude of a score to be awarded, saidcounter to be employed in said scoring step, and a step of providingcomparator circuitry adapted to increase such score award in accordancewith higher difficulty levels of the task presented, which comparatorcircuitry is to be employed in said comparing step.
 32. A method forremotely evaluating and creating a record of responses to task-settingmessages electronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations,which method comprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messagesfor sequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and providing means for altering thedifficulty level of said first-mentioned response criteria by a programconductor or by an individual respondent.
 33. A method for remotelyevaluating and creating a record of responses to task-setting messageselectronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations, whichmethod comprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messages forsequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and permitting an individual respondent toselect a difficulty level before knowing a question to be responded toby said response entering step.
 34. A system according to any of claims9, 10, or 11 wherein said timing means includes means for setting a timeinterval allowed for entering said responses.
 35. A system according toany one of claims 9, 10, or 11 wherein said timing means furtherincludes means for deactivating said scoring means upon expiration of apredetermined time interval.
 36. A broadcasting system according toclaim 12, the system being employed for teaching an audience remote froma central site, the system further comprisingtiming means operativelycoupled to said scoring means for setting a time interval allowed forentering said response; and interactive means for providingcommunication from said remote sites to said central site.
 37. Abroadcasting system according to claim 13, the system being employed foraiding research by an audience remote from a central site, the systemwhereinsaid timing means sets a time interval allowed for entering saidresponses, said system further comprising interactive means forproviding communication from said remote sites to said central site. 38.A system according to claim 36 wherein said timing means furtherincludes means for deactivating said scoring means upon termination ofsaid time interval.
 39. A system according to claim 37 wherein saidtiming means includes means for deactivating said scoring means upontermination of said time interval.
 40. A method according to claim 14wherein said formatting step includes a step of setting individualelements of response criteria for each task.
 41. A method for remotelyevaluating and creating a record of responses to task-setting messageselectronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations, whichmethod comprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messages forsequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and wherein said formatting includes a stepof setting a plurality of difficulty levels as part of the responsecriteria of a question.
 42. A method for remotely evaluating andcreating a record of responses to task-setting messages electronicallytransmitted to receivers at remote locations, which methodcomprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messages forsequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and wherein, in said formatting step, adifficulty level is at least in part determined by the time allowed foranswering a question by an entering of a response.
 43. A method forremotely evaluating and creating a record of responses to task-settingmessages electronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations,which method comprises:formulating a plurality of task-setting messagesfor sequential transmission to members of a remote audience; formattingresponse criteria for a task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including acceptable responses, a scoring basis withdifficulty level and a timing of said responses for determined timeintervals; transmitting electronic task-setting signals conveying saidtask-setting messages from a central station to receivers at remotelocations; receiving said signals conveying said task-setting messagesat said remote locations; transmitting from a central station electronicresponse-criteria signals conveying response criteria governingresponses to each task of said task-setting messages, saidresponse-criteria signals being transmitted to said remote locations;receiving said response-criteria signals at said remote locations;entering responses to said task-setting messages on data-enteringdevices at said remote locations; comparing said responses withacceptable responses meeting said response criteria; identifyingindividual ones of said responses meeting said response criteria;scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of said responsecriteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each of said remotelocations of scored response results from said scoring step; modifyingby at least partially reformatting said response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit a subsequenttask; transmitting the response-criteria signals with modified responsecriteria independently of a transmission of said task-setting signals;repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition of modifying aresponse criteria includes a reformatting of individual ones of saidfirst-mentioned response criteria independently of said transmitting ofsaid task-setting signals to be applied to tasks of subsequent ones ofsaid task-setting messages; and wherein said step of scoring providesthat an answer to the same question at higher difficulty levels carriesa greater award.
 44. A method for remotely evaluating and creating arecord of responses to task-setting messages electronically transmittedto receivers at remote locations, which method comprises:formulating aplurality of task-setting messages for sequential transmission tomembers of a remote audience; formatting response criteria for a task ofsaid task-setting messages, said response criteria including acceptableresponses, a scoring basis with difficulty level and a timing of saidresponses for determined time intervals; transmitting electronictask-setting signals conveying said task-setting messages from a centralstation to receivers at remote locations; receiving said signalsconveying said task-setting messages at said remote locations;transmitting from a central station electronic response-criteria signalsconveying response criteria governing responses to each task of saidtask-setting messages, said response-criteria signals being transmittedto said remote locations; receiving said response-criteria signals atsaid remote locations; entering responses to said task-setting messageson data-entering devices at said remote locations; comparing saidresponses with acceptable responses meeting said response criteria;identifying individual ones of said responses meeting said responsecriteria; scoring each response relative to the scoring basis of saidresponse criteria; creating a record on a recording medium at each ofsaid remote locations of scored response results from said scoring step;modifying by at least partially reformatting said response criteriaindependently of said transmitting of said task-setting signals to fit asubsequent task; transmitting the response-criteria signals withmodified response criteria independently of a transmission of saidtask-setting signals; repeating the foregoing steps, wherein arepetition of modifying a response criteria includes a reformatting ofindividual ones of said first-mentioned response criteria independentlyof said transmitting of said task-setting signals to be applied to tasksof subsequent ones of said task-setting messages; and informing atelevision audience, prior to posing a question, of awards associatedwith each difficulty level of a particular question.
 45. A methodaccording to claim 44, wherein the step of informing is accomplished bya host by making an announcement correlating a shorter time periodallowed for answering a question with a higher difficulty level.
 46. Amethod according to claim 44, wherein the step of informing isaccomplished by the host by announcing a general subject area of aquestion to be posed, and a step by a contestant of determining thedifficulty level applicable to answers to such question based on ageneral subject area before knowing the specific question.
 47. A methodaccording to claim 44 including a step by a contestant, prior to knowinga question, of shortening a period of time allowed for answering thequestion, so as to answer a question at a higher difficulty levelcarrying a greater award.
 48. A method according to claim 14 wherein, insaid step of transmitting said task-setting electronic signals,questions are visually posed on television.
 49. A method according toclaim 14 further comprising a step of conducting a quiz program forstudio audiences independently, but substantially concurrently with aquiz program for home viewing audiences.
 50. A system according to claim10 wherein, in said storing means, response criteria including scoringmethod can be updated by replacing previous data, and may also beretained for repeated utilization pursuant to radio command signals fromsaid instructional-signal transmitting means.
 51. A system forbroadcasting a task-setting program signal from a central site to aplurality of receiving stations at remote sites, and for responding tosaid program signal at said receiving stations, said systemcomprising:means at said central site for transmitting said task-settingprogram signal; means at each of said receiving stations for presentinga program transmitted by said program signal to an audience; means atsaid central site for transmitting an instructional signal incorporatingpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations responsive to said instructional signal for storing saidpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations for entering a response by said audience to a situationpresented in said program; means at each of said receiving stations forcomparing said audience response to said predetermined responsecriteria; means coupled to said comparing means for scoring saidaudience response; means at said central site for encoding saidinstructional signals, and wherein said instructional-signaltransmitting means includes means for modulating encoded instructionalsignals upon a voice signal to be transmitted by said instructionalsignal transmitting means; said system further comprising demodulationmeans at each of said receiving stations coupled to saidresponse-criteria storing means for extracting said instructional signalfrom said voice signal of said transmitted programs signal; and means ateach of said receiving stations coupled to said scoring means forgenerating a record on a recording medium, a result of said scoringappearing on said recording medium upon activation of said scoringmeans; and wherein said entering means includes buffer storing means forstoring said audience response, said buffer storing means outputtingindividual responses of the audience to said comparison means; saidscoring means includes means responsive to said instructional signal fortiming individual responses to said audience; said scoring meansincludes means for selectively altering criteria employed in a mode ofscoring in response to said instructional signal; and wherein said meansfor transmitting said instructional signal includes means for alteringsaid instructional signal, independently of a transmission of a programsignal, to activate said scoring means to alter said timing; said systemfurther including selection means at remote locations and operable by acontestant to select one of several specified alternative subject areasof a question.
 52. A system according to claim 10 wherein said scoringmeans is operable by a contestant for selecting a mode of scoring aresponse based on a shorter response interval of time.
 53. A system forbroadcasting a task-setting program signal from a central site to aplurality of receiving stations at remote sites, and for responding tosaid program signal at said receiving stations, said systemcomprising:means at said central site for transmitting said task-settingprogram signal; means at each of said receiving stations for presentinga program transmitted by said program signal to an audience; means atsaid central site for transmitting an instructional signal incorporatingpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations responsive to said instructional signal for storing saidpredetermined response criteria; means at each of said receivingstations for entering a response by said audience to a situationpresented in said program; means at each of said receiving stations forcomparing said audience response to said predetermined responsecriteria; means coupled to said comparing means for scoring saidaudience response; and means at said central site for encoding saidinstructional signal, and wherein said instructional-signal transmittingmeans includes means for modulating encoded instructional signals upon avoice signal to be transmitted by said instructional signal transmittingmeans; said system further comprising demodulation means at each of saidreceiving stations coupled to said response-criteria storing means forextracting said instructional signal from said voice signal of saidtransmitted programs signal; and means at each of said receivingstations coupled to said scoring means for generating a record on arecording medium, a result of said scoring appearing on said recordingmedium upon activation of said scoring means; and wherein said enteringmeans includes buffer storing means for storing said audience response,said buffer storing means outputting individual responses of theaudience to said comparison means; said scoring means includes meansresponsive to said instructional signal for timing individual responsesto said audience; said scoring means includes means for selectivelyaltering criteria employed in a mode of scoring in response to saidinstructional signal; and wherein said means for transmitting saidinstructional signal includes means for altering said instructionalsignal, independently of a transmission of a program signal, to activatesaid scoring means to alter said timing; and said response criteriaincludes a plurality of responses at differing levels of difficultyincluding higher and lower levels of difficulty, and said scoring meansis operable by a contestant for scoring a response based on a higherdifficulty level.
 54. A system according to claim 53 wherein saidscoring means is responsive to a contestant for shortening an allowedperiod of response.
 55. A system according to claim 10 wherein saidprogram transmitting means further comprises television transmissionmeans at said central site and television screen means at remotelocations operative in a split screen mode to inform the remote audienceof an award associated with a difficulty level.
 56. A system accordingto claim 10 having television display means for the display oftask-setting messages of said program signal.
 57. A system according toclaim 10 further comprising means responsive to said scoring means atremote locations for audibly announcing an award to a successfulcontestant.
 58. A system according to claim 10 further comprisingdispenser means coupled to said scoring means to output said record ofscoring results, said record being a printout having imprinted thereon abar code, which bar code is suitable for transmission to the centralsite by means of telephone modems, and is suitable for reading byscanners.
 59. A system according to claim 10 wherein said comparingmeans includes first comparison means for comparing a key word of aresponse to a reference word, and second comparison means for comparinga set of words to a set of reference words.
 60. A system according toclaim 10 including selection means at remote locations and operable by acontestant to select one of several specified alternative subject areasof a question; and whereinsaid comparing means includes means forrejecting responses failing to meet the response criteria; and in saiddata storing means, response criteria including scoring method can beupdated by replacing previous data, and may also be retained forrepeated utilization pursuant to radio command signals from saidresponse-criteria transmitting means.
 61. A method according to claim 14further comprising a step of providing television screen means at remotelocations operative in split screen mode for communicating between saidcentral station and said remote locations; and whereinsaid task-settingmessages include a question to be asked, said method further comprisinga step of informing the remote audience through said split screen meansof a plurality of alternative subject areas of a question to be asked.62. A method according to claim 14 further comprising a step ofsequentially televising a plurality of programs, said programs includingaudio portions carrying said task-setting messages, and a step ofvarying said tasks with each audio portion.
 63. A method according toclaim 14 further comprising a step of sequentially televising aplurality of programs to members of the audience at remote locationsgeographically located in different time zones, said programs includingaudio portions carrying said task-setting messages; the method furthercomprising the steps oftransmitting individual ones of said audioportions to remote locations in different ones of said time zones; andvarying said tasks among the audio portions transmitted to the remotelocations in different ones of said time zones.
 64. A method accordingto claim 1 wherein said first and said second sets of signals aretransmitted as part of a television program containing a predeterminednumber of tasks, said method including a step of televising said programrepeatedly; and whereinthere is a number of formulated differenttask-setting messages which is larger than that required for saidprogram; and there is one set of task-setting messages which istransmitted in a first such program and a set of different task-settingmessages transmitted in a second such program at a time different fromthat of said first program.
 65. A method according to claim 1whereinthere are a plurality of said task-setting messages, saidtask-setting messages define a plurality of tasks for which responsesare to be entered, and said generating step includes a step of settingindividual response criteria for each of said tasks; said step oftransmitting electronic signals conveying a task-setting messageincludes a transmitting of task-setting messages to receivers atlocations in different time zones; there being a further step of varyingtasks of said task-setting messages for presentation of different tasksto receivers in different time zones, the task-setting messagestransmitted to the receivers in the different time zones including acommon visual program in each of said time zones accompanied by taskswhich differ in each of the time zones.
 66. A method according to claim14 wherein said task-setting signals include a television program, saidstep of transmitting task-setting signals including a transmission todifferent geographic locations, said step of transmitting saidtask-setting signals being repeated for successive transmissions of acommon television program to the different locations; and whereinsaidstep of formulating task-setting messages provides for a plurality ofdifferent tasks with respective ones of said tasks accompanyingrespective transmissions of said common program to respective ones ofthe locations.
 67. A method for evaluating responses to task-settingmessages electronically transmitted from a central station to members ofa remote audience who have responded to said messages in a mannermeeting predetermined response criteria, which method comprises thesteps of:transmitting audio-visual signals to the members of the remoteaudience, the audio-visual signals conveying a presentation of dataaccompanied by task-setting messages defining tasks to be performed bymembers of the audience; transmitting signals conveying responsecriteria to members of the remote audience at remote locations forresponding to individual ones of said task-setting messages, saidresponse criteria including a scoring basis for responses to be enteredby the members of the remote audience, said scoring basis including adifficulty level; entering responses to said task-setting messages bymembers of said audience; comparing individual ones of said responsesentered by a member of said remote audience with said response criteria;scoring each response relative to said response criteria in correlationwith a difficulty level; creating a record on a recording medium at eachsaid remote locations of scored response results from said scoring step,wherein said creating includes providing said record with at least onedistinguishing indicium selected from a group consisting of discretedashes, connected, dashes, dots, regular shapes, irregular shapes,codes, numbers, letters and symbols, so as to prevent tampering,forging, and counterfeiting; allowing interaction between a member ofthe remote audience and the central station by means of a communicationlink between a remote location and the central station; altering theresponse criteria in accordance with said interaction; and permittingfurther response by members of the remote audience in accord withaltered response criteria.
 68. A method according to claim 67 furthercomprising a step of retransmitting said audio-visual signal with arevised task setting message for modifying at least one task to beperformed by members of the remote audience.
 69. A method according toclaim 68 wherein said step of scoring includes a step of timingresponses of members of the remote audience in accordance with saidaltered response criteria.
 70. A system for evaluating responses bymembers of an audience to task-setting messages electronicallytransmitted from a central station to locations remote from the centralstation, the audience members being located at the remote locations, thesystem comprising:first transmitter means for transmitting audio-visualsignals to the remote locations, the audio-visual signals conveying apresentation of data accompanied by task-setting messages defining tasksto be performed by members of the audience relative to saidpresentation; response means at the remote locations operable byindividual ones of the audience members for responding to thetask-setting messages; second transmitter means for transmittingresponse-criteria signals to the remote locations, the response meansbeing activated by the response-criteria signals, said response criteriasignals conveying a response criteria including a scoring basis forevaluating acceptable responses to be entered by the audience members;and wherein said response means includes means for comparing a responseentered by an audience member with said response criteria; means forscoring a response to output a score based on said scoring basis; meanscoupled to said scoring means for generating a record on a recordingmedium, a result of said scoring means appearing on said recordingmedium upon activation of said scoring means; communication meansallowing interaction between an audience member and the central station;and whereinsaid record generating means provides said record with atleast one distinguishing indicium selected from a group consisting ofdiscrete dashes, connected, dashes, dots, regular shapes, irregularshapes, codes, numbers, letters and symbols, so as to prevent tampering,forging, and counterfeiting; and at least one of said first and saidsecond transmitter means provides for modification of their respectivesignals to alter the acceptability of a response.
 71. A system accordingto claim 70 wherein said scoring means includes means for establishing aplurality of difficulty levels against which responses are scored bysaid scoring means, said altered response criteria including difficultylevel.
 72. A method according to claim 1 further comprisingstepspresenting said first task-setting message to a studio audience;and communicating activity of said studio audience to said remotelocations.
 73. A system according to claim 12 wherein saidcopy-generating means comprises means for selecting a recording mediumto serve as said hard copy, said selecting means being responsive tosaid instructional signal.
 74. A method according to claims 3 or 14further comprising a step of providing on said record an alphanumericcode permitting verification of an award.
 75. A method according toclaims 3 or 14 further comprising a step of providing on said record amachine readable code permitting verification of an award.
 76. A methodaccording to claim 14 wherein said record-creating step includes a stepof providing as said recording medium a form having a grid and recordinga scored response thereon, said method permitting persons at remotelocations to participate in task-setting programs of the type requiringanswers to a task presented by a program conductor, said task requiringa creative narrative response.
 77. A method according to claim 14wherein said scoring step includes a step of cumulatively adding scoringincrements to said score, said method permitting persons at remotelocations to participate in task-setting programs of the type requiringanswers to multi-part questions presented by a program conductor, saidscoring increments corresponding to the parts of said multi-partquestions answered in a manner meeting response criteria.
 78. A methodaccording to claim 14 wherein said step of formulating task-settingmessages includes the formulation of questions which are selected from aquestion group consisting of multi-part questions, questions requiring asingle or multi-choice answer, and questions requiring a minimum numberof answers.
 79. A method according to claim 14 further comprisinga stepof providing a television presentation for communicating between saidcentral station and said remote audience, said members of said remoteaudience being contestants of a television audience located at saidremote locations, there being a host at said central station; a step bythe host of informing the television audience of specified alternativesubject areas of a question prior to asking a question, and a step by acontestant of selecting a subject area prior to knowing the specificquestion.
 80. A system according to claim 7 wherein contestants arelocated at said remote sites, the system further comprising means atsaid remote sites for alerting contestants of a correct response withopportunity to win an award.
 81. A method according to claim 2 furthercomprising steps of announcing and dispensing of a award to a successfulcontestant at one of said remote locations, there being a step ofdelaying the dispensing and the announcing of the award to thesuccessful contestant for a determined interval of response by thestudio audience.
 82. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step ofcreating includes a step of outputting a voucher suitable for exchangefor an award.
 83. A method according to claim 1 or 14 wherein each stepof transmitting task-setting message signals includes a transmitting ofquestions on an automated cable television channel for displaying onscreens in remote locations, the displaying including alphanumeric orgraphic forms of display.
 84. A system according to claim 7 or 9-13inclusive wherein said means for transmitting a program signal transmitsquestions in alphanumeric form, graphic form, or a combination ofalphanumeric and graphic forms by an automated cable television channelfor display on screens in remote locations.
 85. A method for remotelyevaluating and creating a record of responses to task-setting signalmessages electronically transmitted to receivers at remote locations,which method comprises the steps of:formulating a radio programcomprising a plurality of tasks to be performed sequentially by membersof the radio audience and to be conveyed to said members in the form oftask-setting electronic signal messages; transmitting said electronictask-setting signal messages from a central station on an assigned radiofrequency; receiving said electronic task-setting signal messages atremote locations; formatting response criteria governing responses to atask, said response criteria including acceptable responses, a scoringbasis with difficulty level and a timing of said responses fordetermined time intervals; transmitting electronic signals conveyingresponse criteria on a subcarrier of an assigned radio frequency to saidremote locations prior to or substantially concurrently with thetransmission of said task-setting signal messages; receiving saidelectronic signals conveying response criteria at remote locations;entering responses on a data entry device at said remote locations;comparing said responses with acceptable responses meeting said responsecriteria; identifying individual ones of said responses meeting saidresponse criteria; scoring each response relative to the scoring basisof said response criteria; creating a record on a recording medium ateach said remote locations of scored response results from said scoringstep, wherein said creating includes providing said record with at leastone distinguishing indicium selected from a group consisting of discretedashes, connected, dashes, dots, regular shapes, irregular shapes,codes, numbers, letters and symbols, so as to prevent tampering,forging, and counterfeiting; modifying by at least partiallyreformatting individual ones of said response criteria independently ofsaid transmitting of said task-setting messages, so as to individuallygovern a subsequent task; transmitting electronic signals conveyingreformatted response criteria on a subcarrier of an assignedradio-frequency; repeating the foregoing steps, wherein a repetition ofmodifying response criteria includes a reformatting of individual onesof said first-mentioned response criteria independently of saidtransmitting of said task-setting signal messages, to be applied totasks of subsequent ones of said task-setting signal messages.
 86. Asystem according to claim 7 or 9-13 inclusive wherein said means fortransmitting a program signal transmits said program solely by radio.87. A system according to claim 7 or 9-13 inclusive wherein said meansfor transmitting a program signal transmits the program signal bypresentation in a form of audio presentation, visual presentation, or acombination of audio and visual presentations.
 88. A system according toclaim 14 wherein said response-criteria signals are transmitted to saidremote locations prior to the transmission of said task-setting signals.89. A system according to claim 14 wherein said response-criteriasignals are transmitted to said remote locations concurrently with thetransmission of said task-setting signals.
 90. A system according toclaim 14 wherein said response-criteria signals are transmitted to saidremote locations subsequent to the transmission of said task-settingsignals.
 91. A system according to claim 70 wherein saidresponse-criteria signals are transmitted to members of said remoteaudience prior to the transmission of said audio-visual signals.
 92. Asystem according to claim 70 wherein said response-criteria signals aretransmitted to members of said remote audience concurrently with thetransmission of said audio-visual signals.
 93. A system according toclaim 70 wherein said response-criteria signals are transmitted tomembers of said remote audience subsequent to the transmission of saidaudio-visual signals.